6b 
THE ALCOHOL PROBLEM 
population employed largely on unskilled labour, it 
has been found by Dr. Alfred Salter,* as the result 
of a very careful survey, that in 1925 the average 
weekly expenditure on intoxicants was 10s. to 20s. 
per family, whilst the average wage received by adult 
male workers was slightly under £3. It may, in 
excuse, be pointed out that this large expenditure 
is due in no small measure to high taxation, but 
unfortunately lower taxation means increased con- 
sumption, and a corresponding rise in drunkenness 
and other evils. 
But is there no way of avoiding these conflicting 
dangers and difficulties ? Most men would be only 
too pleased if matters could be so arranged that 
nobody ever drank to excess, and nobody spent more 
than a reasonable proportion of his wages on what 1s 
a perfectly legitimate form of pleasure. Many temper- 
ance advocates say that the only safe and certain 
method of avoiding excessive drinking is to adopt 
complete prohibition. This is perfectly true, if com- 
plete prohibition could really be introduced, but this 
has hitherto proved to be quite impossible. As we 
shall see in the next chapter, the legal enforcement of 
complete prohibition sets up a fresh train of evils which, 
in the opinion of many, are more serious than the evils 
they are designed to suppress. ‘Men who have ac- 
quired a liking for alcoholic liquors are not prepared 
to give them up in consequence of legal enactments. 
The mere fact of compulsion sometimes spurs them 
to extreme measures which they would not dream of 
adopting if they were treated in less cavalier fashion. 
Within limits they are open to persuasion, but re- 
* A. Salter, Brit. Journ. Inebriety, 1927, P- 67.