What A Few Drinks A Day Cost

The New York Evening Post has the following comiuenta on tho social glnss : Wliy is t tliot so many of tbc fomilicB of the laboring men in our towns and cities live o such a poor, beggarly way, and ia so inany damp, dark basemonts, and up n such cloae, conüned, rickety old nücs ? Many of the hcads if these families rcceivo good woges, and gct their pay every week or inonth regularly. But where, in too many case, do their wagos go 1 Not to the bunker, the grocer, Uie butchcr, tho mercbant ; Ihey go fur etrong drink, ulo and beer, whioli do not strcngthen the physical mnn. Franklin taught the printer of Loudon that eold water was battar than ftlej and oold water lias luet nona of its virtuos iu 140 yenrs. The cost of tippling in the nggregato is ORormous. The imjuiry is of, -en made how aru so inany driuking houacs susained t Let us seo. ïwenly mou at : owtfl a day will pay ona of tho "tip)ling sbops:' $2,190 a year. A man who ays oO fionts a day fur drinks," paya 1ÜO 50 a year. This is the interest on S1,5G4 at seven per cent., at simplo inercst. This sum, 30 cents a day, amounts in ten years to 1,171.95. Allhis is wastcd, paid out for "an euerny hat steuls awny a man's brains," and obrt his family of every oouifort. Inozicating liuors give neithor strength o the body, vigor to tha miud, resohiion to tho will, elevation to moráis, nor igrdty to character. Strong drink raga a mau down froin his higíi estáte, epraves all his appelitos, and leaves liii) in want nnd misery, the mero wreek nd semblauce of a man. Tho constant uso of intoxicating iuors makus hard times for many a iaii ; tlius, a family of five persons will onsumc four barréis of flour a year, ,i"ij pounds of bread. This is nearly 'iree pounds adny. Good flour cs:i be jought now at 7 a barro!; fonr times even makes twenty-eijzht, at 30 cents a ay for drinks is 3109.50, or $81.50 ïora per year Iban tito bread for a imily of five persons costs. llBut," iys A, "I only take two drink a d:iy." Very wcll, you pny theu for your driuks 7;i ,i year ; ontt$lb moro than you pay 'or thubread consumcd by your who!e amily, if it ccintains fivo persons. Tiiis um wiíl próvido tho tea und cuíTeo for ïcm. Hore, then, we poe the man who pays ven twenty cents a doy for liqnor spends sum suiKcient to supply his family with )iead, tea and coffeo íor a year. Is it trange that times are hard - that meo omplain of the Government, and chargo ïat it oppresses them with onerous axes ï Tho abovo figures ehow how en tax themsolves, aud how they tax roperty too. In 1SG8 tha Inebrióte Asplum cost ie tax-payers of this city $114,472 40. Víale thü Bmownt ot' money paid by the ity for ilour for all its hospitals, sylams, and for the relief of the poor, as ouly 102,570.38.