The Question of the Hour.

Southern Cross, Volume 7, Issue 35, 25 November 1899, Page 10

The Question of the Hour.

THE RELATION OF POVERTY TO DRINK.

y# THE ESTIMATES OF 816 KEEPERS ALMSHOUSES SHOW 1,530,000 PEOPLE of the AMERICAN NATION

TO BE IMPOVERISHED THROUGH DRINK,

The census of the United States for 1890 shows that there were then 73,045 paupers in the almshouses of the United States. This by no means represents the total number of persons wholly or partially supported by charity. Such authorities as Charles D. Kellogg, Secretary of the New York Charities Organisation, Professor Richard T. Ely, and the ‘ Encyclopedia of Social Reforms,’ place the total number of persons in the country partially or wholly supported by charity at about 3,000,000. Recently the New Voice submitted the following question to the ‘ keepers of almshouses ’ in each of the 2,841 counties of the United States : ‘ In your opinion, what proportion of the inmates of your almshouse came there directly or indirectly through the use or abuse of intoxicating liquors, either on the part of themselves or some one else ?’ The officials were also asked to state their experience with paupers and the number of paupers then under their charge. Replies were received from 816 officials, who had a total of 33,245 paupers under their charge, and whose combined experience has amounted to 4,396 years. The replies received are almost wholly from the rural districts. All the great cities, like New York, Chicago, Philadelphia, Boston, St. Louis, etc., where the proportion of paupers caused by drink is admitted to be far greater, are not represented. The summary given below shows that in these 816 almshouses there were 33,245 paupers, of whom 17,091, or 51 per cent., were made paupers through intoxicating liquor. It is likely that this estimate of these 816 almshouse-keepers will hold good for the entire number of 73,045 paupers in the almshouses of the whole country, as shown in the whole census of 1890. We may conclude, therefore, that the country was then supporting in public poorhouses 37,254 people whose lives were wrecked by liquor. As the number of paupers has, during thesubsequeut nineyears, probably kept pace with the growth of population, the present number of drinkpaupers in our alms-houses must be considerably in excess of this figure.

Ifc is a fair assumption that the average of the estimates of these 816 keepers of almshouses will also hold good for the 3,000,000 persons estimated to be wholly or partially a public charge on the nation. If that be the case, there are in the American nation to-day 1,530,000 persons who are so impoverished through drink that they are compelled to depend wholly or partially upon public charity for the bread they eat, the clothes they wear, and the very shelter over their heads. In studying this detailed tabulation, too much stress should not be put upon comparisons between States far separated from each other. The Eastern States generally make better provision for their paupers than the West and South. There is naturally a greater proportion of paupers in the East, for the reason that many of the young and productive class have gone West leaving the old folks at home. [Published by arrangement with the Southland Prohibition League .]