Show AN ENORMOUS WASTE communicated 1 there aro bufa few people if any who over think of the enormous waste of mony inclined in the liquor traffic in the united states the amount is ao startling that we can hard ay iy of it the yearly expenditures in this country alone is almost one billion dollars eighty million a month more than two and one half million aery day how docs this expenditure compare with the necessary expenditures af life wo spend for intoxicating drinks three times as much as for times as much as for butter and cheepo four times as much as for sugar BIS times as much ns foi coffee tea cocoa and chocolate or fifty millions more than for all tho foods of life combined how does it compare with the expenditure pend iture for clothing oar liquor bill is four times the expenditure for cotton goods livo times greater than for woolen goody six times greater than for boot and shoes twelve times moro than worsteds worst eds and carpets or twice as much as for all clothing and wearing apparel combined during each decade the people of tho united states spend for intoxicating drinks an amount equal to all of the agricultural and industrial products of the country in other words if a fire was kindled on the first day of january every eleventh year and continued burning during ten years if every article a fase as produced in all our factories workshops and mines and all our farm products as fast as gathered were thrown into this fire and burned up until only abo ashes remained such lest ruction of the products of labor would not do as much harm nor inflict upon our people as much pecuniary injury as is produced every ten years by the use of and sale of in drinks the above is quoted from senator BLAIR after ten years af investigation of the liquor traffic besides tho enormous waste of amney there aro nearly one million persons nearly all able bodied men employed in the manufacture and s lie of liquor in the united states these men are all taken from the productive employments and spead their labor for that which is worse than mere idleness supposing they spent their labor in developing the productive industries of this country what prosperity they would add to tub common wealth of this nhuon their wages for one year would amount to at least a half million of dollars and labor would add a permanent wealth to t country aaen the federal statistics show that there are in the united states more than half a ro illion per sons incapacitated for labor by reason of liquor add the was which cheso people would otherwise have earned at ono dollar a duy to the wages of tho army employed in the manufacture and salo of liquor and combine it with the amount spent directly for intoxicating drinks and it amounts to an aggregate of one and ono quarter billion of dollars or equal to our gold aih er and paper circulation combined it would build and equine ten trans con railroads from ohp atlantic tu the pacific it would pay tho entire cost of our public schools for a quarter of a century it would appy the entire debt of the country national state and municipal in loss than four years it would provide one third of the people 0 this country with homesteads of one hundred and sixty acres each at seven dollars a barrel it would provide more than three barrels of flower to every man woman and child in the united sartes Str tes this is an enormous waste no people however favored with natural re ano waste as lare a portion of labor and money for intoxicating drinks cad continue to prosper no wonder that hard times and tion of trade and over production of industries armies ot tramps bands of burglar and thieves bolow finch a waste and violation of economic and moral lawa Is not this question after all more important than any other question before tho country abolish the liquor traffic and there will bo planty of work and good i wages for all |