association was established in 1842, and has two distinct sections, one for abstainers and the other for non abstainers, thus supplying an admirable test of the effects of abstinence on longevity. This institution has issued about 100,000 policies, and has a capital of well nigh £3,000,000, affording ample data for full comparisons. What are the facts? The average length of life in the nonabstaining section has been much shorter than in the abstaining section; and, in the division of profits, every five years, the members of the abstaining section receive from fifteen to fifty-two per cent. more in the shape of bonus than the members of the non-abstaining section. The Edinburgh local manager submits the following exhibit: Table of EXPECTED and REALIZED CLAIMS in the TEMPERANCE and GENERAL SECTIONS of the UNITED KINGDOM TEMPERANCE AND GENERAL PROVIDENT INSTI The actual claims in the temperance section are 29.5 per cent. below the expectancy; and, in the general section, only one fifth of one per cent. below-a fact bristling with significance. Dr. Norman Kerr, a distinguished English physician, referring to the death-rate from alcohol, said in 1879: Dr. Richardson gave it as his opinion, some time ago, that "were England converted to temperance, the vitality of the nation would be increased one third in value; or, in other words, nearly 227,000 lives would be saved to us every year." This is a startling statement ; but, after careful investigation, I think it is much nearer the truth than many were supposed to believe. My own calculations give 200,000 as the number of deaths resulting from drinking, of which 128,000 may be traced to drunkenness, and the rest to more or less moderate uses of alcohol. Early in 1877 a select committee was appointed in the House of Lords to "inquire into the prevalence of habits of intemperance, and into the manner in which those habits have been affected by recent legislation." From this committee's report we gather the following facts: This table shows the NUMBER OF PERSONS engaged in SELLING INTOXICATING LIQUORS in each of the years 1860, 1870, and 1876, in the UNITED KINGDOM. two gallons..... Total.. Retailers of spirits, licensed to sell tea, etc.. Grocers, selling wine not to be consumed on the prem ises, having retail license for beer only, (Scotland.) Grocers, selling wine not to be consumed on the premises, with license for beer and spirits.... Refreshment-house keepers, selling wine to be consumed on the premises, if rated under £50, (En-| gland and Ireland,). . Refreshment-house keepers, selling wine to be consumed on the premises, if rated at £50 or over, (England and Ireland,). Retailers of wine, not to be consumed on the prem ises, if rated under £50, (England and Wales,)... Retailers of wine not to be consumed on the premises, if rated over £50, (England and Wales,).... Makers and dealers in sweets, to sell not less than Retailers of sweets. Retailers of spirits, (grocers, Ireland.).. Occasional licenses, not more than three days. Foreign Wines in the United Kingdom. Population 27,368,328. 1851 1861 WINE, 15,644,757 gallons. Per capita, 0.44 gallons. Such is the array of licensed liquor dealers in the United Kingdom-180,237, an increase of 23,534 in sixteen years, (1860-1876.) As the effect of a modification of the license act, in 1869, there has been a reduction of 4,887 since 1870; but still there was an average of one liquor shop for every 182 inhabitants in the British Isles in 1876. The reduction has been chiefly, as the committee states, in the beer houses, by "weeding out those most disorderly." Valuable statistics were submitted to the committee, showing also the quantity and cost of the liquors consumed. MAGNITUDE AND COST. Table showing the QUANTITY of the different kinds of INTOXICATING LIQUORS used in the UNITED KINGDOM for each year from 1860 to 1881, inclusive; also, the calculated total retail selling COST for each year. Gallons. Gallons. Gallons. 1860.. 21,404,088 5,521,923 6,718,585 1861.. 19,698,792 5,193,070 10,693,071 1862.. 18,836,187 5,193,642 9,764,155 1863.. 18,884,529 5,574,250 10,420,761 1864.. 19,423,444 6,298,270 11,394,764 1865.. 20,383,375 6,732,217 11,993,760 1866.. 22,516,336 7,797,470 13,244,864 1867.. 21,589,969 8,339,155 13,673,793| 1868.. 21,341,449 8,398,817 15,064,575 1869.. 21,941,779 8,172,845 14,784,534 1870.. 22,613,490 8,439,386 15,079,854 1871.. 24,163,644 8,926,605 16,144,838 1872.. 26,872,183 9,030,835 16,875,955 1,026,076,680 17,500,000| 1873.. 28,908,501 10,259,798 17,905,129 1,076,844,942 17,500,000 1874.. 1875.. Gallons. Gallons. £84,222,172 94,942,107 88,867,563 745,144,956 12,500,000 92,088,185 915,090,415 15,000,000 103,720,012 106,439,561 113,925,458 862,918,650 15,000,000 110,122,266 893,156,379 15,000,000 113,464,874 885,000,412 15,000,000 112,885,603 945,648,756 15,000,000 118,836,284 1876.. 1877 29,875,401 10,676,163 17,170,743 1,086,033.762 17,500,000 141,342,997 142,876,669 147,288,759 142,007,231 1878.. 259,246,872 21,496,071 33,254,889 2,206,951,846 35,000,000 142,188,900 1 The above table, excepting the last five years, was taken from the third Report of the Investigation of the House of Lords' Committee on Intemperance, 1876, 77. The figures for the last five years have been obtained from Mr. William Hoyle, of Bury, England, the same gentleman who furnished the other part of the table for the House of Lords' committee. 2 These two years obtained from one of Mr. Hoyle's tables in his tract on the "Economic Influence of the Drinking Customs of Society." In 1882, £126,251,859. |