DRUNKENNESS REDUCTION - Jan 13, 1917

Northampton has for many years had the reputation locally of being a sober town, though I fear we not

always receive the credit for  if from outsiders as memories of the bad old times of St. Monday die hard.

In the circumstances it is perhaps worthwhile to emphasize the fact that only 15 persons were proceeded

for drunkenness in the last thirteen weeks of the old year.  This is only just over one a week, as compared

with 37 or nearly 3 a week in the corresponding quarter of 1915, and 25 in the quarter immediately proceeding.

This is a splendid record in view of the general prosperity of the work people of the town and shows that

the big wages which many are earning at the present time are not being wasted in drink.  How far this

admirable state of affairs has been contributed to by the reduced hours of opening I am unable to say.  It has

been suggested that there is more secret drinking than formerly.  It is somewhat disquieting to find that although

drunkenness has decreased, the number of persons proceeded against general offences has increased by 39 to 290.

An analysis of the cases, however, shows that a large proportion of them arise directly out of the war, such as

offences against the Lighting Order and desertion from the army.