England's Drink Bill

Pacific Press Publishing Association · Mountain View, California · May 3, 1910

FromSigns of the Times, Vol. 37, No. 17.

England's Drink Bill

THE London Times of April 1 gives the drink bill of the United Kingdom during 1909 at £155,162,485 ($775,000,000). There was a decrease on spirits and beer, but an increase of £93,000 on wine, with an increased consumption of 103,744 gallons.

One reason for the decrease has been the increase in price; that probably has had more to do with it than the spread of temperance sentiment. If the heavier taxes were taken off from spirits and beer, there would no doubt be increased consumption; but think of it — $775,000,000 for drink! If that money could have been used in road building, how much blessing it would have brought to the unemployed in England! Poverty dire and persistent has been increasing; great armies of men we saw not many months ago marching in London who had had no work for weeks. The only benefit that has been derived from the vast amount expended, has been in supporting a few publicans and distillers and brewers. But it has impoverished thousands. It would seem that the common sense of mankind from a purely economical basis would abolish the liquor traffic, and abolish it forever.