The Temperance Problem and Social Reform

In the late nineteenth century, there was a belief that poverty was solely related to alcohol consumption. Joseph did not hold this view but suspected that alcohol was a contributory cause. He wrote: – “The temptation of drink is so seductive that people come under its influence almost without knowing, and it may be in middle life when they discover with dismay that they are in the grip of a dangerous habit.” Together with Arthur Sherwell he set out to discover the facts and their research led to the publication of The Temperance Problem and Social Reform in 1899. The impact of this book was such that it went into a number of editions. It, along with Pauperism in England and Wales, demonstrate Joseph’s ability to collect and explain data about social issues.