f wsmww' "
4
OCTOBER, 1916
The Commoner
drinking clubs, thereby ceasing to
tempt young men, and often young
women, to form the drink habit."
H. C. Gill, mayor of Seattle,
Washington, says: "Generally, mer
chants state that business is bettor,
that bills are paid and that business
is constantly increasing, and it is be.
coming known that the effect of the
act is beneficial rather than disas
trous as many had anticipated.
As to arrests and crime, while I have
not the complete figures beforo me,
the police court arrests run about 50
per cent of what they did a year ago,
but of those arrests now occurjug a
great number are for attempted vio
lations of the liquor law. There are,
of course, a constantly increasing
number of automobile traffic regu
lations, which keep up the increase of
arrests, but the ordinary police court
cases in my opinidn do not exceed
25 per cent of what they were prior
to Januai 1. Experience
has shown here -that 95 per cent of
the liquor evil was in the saloon, and
it being gone the rest is easy of so
lution, and as one who voted wet,
and who has now seen the effects of
the law, I can see no possible chance
of this city at least ever voting wet
again. I believe that .the next elec
tion will demonstrate in this city that
at least 80 per cent are dry although
it voted wet by 15,000 majority."
A. C. Fleming, mayor of Spokane,
says: All of the merchants that I
have interviewed have advised me
that trade has increased, collections
have been paid and business condi
tions are considerably better. The
records Bhow a great falling off in
arrests for the average run of police
work, but that since prohibition there
has been a considerable increase in
the number of arres.ts for what is
known as "bootlegging," because of
the effort on the part of our police
department to see that the prohibi
tion law is enforced, but I believe
that I can truthfully say that there
is less crime in the community under
the present conditions than under
former conditions.
Henry D. Smith, Mayor of Ft.
Smith, Ark., says: "I have had the
following statistics taken from the
police court records, which seem to
mo to be all the argument that is
needed: Drunks arrested in twelve
months with saloons, 1322, total ar
rests 5697; drunks arrested in twelve
months without saloons, 401, total
arrests 2226. Difference: 921 less
arrests for drunkenness; 3471 less
arrests from all causes. We haye
reduced the police force by half and
many of the oldest citizens have
told us that law and order never pre
vailed to the extent it has in the last
year."
Mayor Taylor, Little Rock, Ark.,
says: "I believe that nearly every
one of those formerly engaged in the
business is glad that they law has
been stringently enforced and that
not many of them sincerely desire to
repeal the prohibition law and to re
turn to former conditions.
Merchants in ten lines of business
whom I have consulted advise me
that their collections are far better
this year than last. The sales sheets
of many of the retail dealers show a
steady increase in the amount of
business done."
G. E. Bruse, mayor of Charleston,
West Virginia, says: "West Virginia
went dry July 1, 1914, and the open
saloons went out of business. We
had fifty-three saloons in our city,
from which we derived a revenue of
$53,000 per year. The cry was, if we
drove the saloon out of the city and
lost this revenue it would increase
taxes and destroy business. When
the city went dry and the fifty-three
saloons closed down, within ten
days these buildimrs worn nil ni,i
by merchants in legitimato lines of
trade and the city began to' prosper.
It would bo impossible for mo to de
scribe to you the wonderful chango
in the morals of the city since this
time. As to tho financial condition.
The city lias forged ahead and has
built in the last two years forty miles
of streets and kept pace with all im
provements, kept its streets clean
and the city in good, sanitary condi
tion. This was dono without increas
ing tho taxes, but instead wo have
been able to reduce tho levy from
79 cents to 55 cents for the running
expenses of the city, or in other
woras, we Jiavo reduced the levy 24
cents and have ample cash on hand
to pay all obliiratlonH. TIiIr onmna
about by a large reduction in the
polico department, a largo reduction
in the court expenses and a largo re
duction in the poor fund. These re
ductions greatly exceed tho $53,000
we received from the flfty-threo sa
loons in tho city. Real estate is
much more valuable and tho closing
of tljo saloon his increased the mer
chandise and food consumption.
C. H. Bentley, mayor of Wichita,
Kansas, says: The closing of the sa
loons in this city has not proven det
rimental in any sense. It has not
injured real estate values, but has
increased trade with merchants in
food, clothing and other necessities
of life. The man who formerly
bought liver to take home now buys
beefsteak. I can cite you many In
stances of the increase of rent. For
years I have owned lot 13, Douglas
avenue, English's addition to tho
city of Wichita, and I have controlled
this property foi about thirty years.
Under the saloon system I was get
ting $100 a month rental. Under the
present system I am getting $250 a
month rental."
W. E. Atchison, county attorney,
Topeka, Kansas, says: "The closing
of the saloons has saved to the labor
ing classes of Topeka the amounts of
money that they formerly spent for
intoxicating liquors, and instead of
using a part of the wages for intoxi
cants the wage earners of Topeka
pay their money to tho merchants of
Topeka for clothing and other neces
saries of life and upon the education
of their children."
25
I . - , n
- I
AN OLD, OLD STORY
Lob Angeles Tribune.
Correa, secretary Denver Retail Gro.
cers' association. Nebraska Issue.
DENVER'S LEADING BUSINESS
MEN ENDORSE PROHIBITION
Some of Denver's most prominent
and influential business men recently
have issued an indorsement of the
prohibition law fqr the purpose of
contradicting libelous stories which
are being circulated broadcast by tho
booze trust. Tho statement follows:
"We are firmly convinced that pro
hibition is a great step forward for
a moral and commercial betterment
of our citizens, our government and
our business interests. Wo have
come in contact with many business
men who were formerly onnosed to
prohibition but who are its staunch
est supporters at this time, because
business is- better, bills are collected
more promptly and the benefits of
prohibition aro everywhere evident.
Denver has never been so much alive
the banks show tremendous In
crease in deposits and earnings, and
this year has been the largest tour
ist season in our history, proving
conclusively that tourists aro not in
fluenced by- the amount of boozo they
can get. Wm. E. Sweet, Sweet
Causey, Foster & Co., investment
bonds; Leon M. Hattenback, presi
dent Denver's .Retail Merchants' as
sociation; the W. H. Moore Machin
ery Co.; Frank N. Briggs, president
the Interstate Trust Company; L. F.
Spratlin,. president Spratlin, Ander
son Mercantile Company; John I.
HOW TO VOTE FOR THE PRO
HIBITORY AMENDMENT
In view of tho fact that some of
tho voters seem not to have a clear
idea on the matter of how to vote on
tho prohibitory amendment, the form
of tho proposition as it will be sub
mitted and will appear upon the bal
lots is as follows:
Proposed Initiative Petition
Shall tho constitution of the state
6r Nebraska bo amended by adding
thereto the following:
On and after May First, 1917, the
manufacture, the sale, tho keeping
for sale or barter, the sale or barter
under any pretext, of malt, spirituous,
vinous or any other intoxicating li
quors, aro forever prohibited in this
state, except for medicinal, scientific,
mechanical, or sacramental purposes.
X 300 ; Yes
state-wide prohibition, and we prom
ise the people of Montana that if our
candidates are elected the will of
tho pepplo as expressed at the polls
will be carried out to tho letter, la
that the provisions of tho said law,
if adopted, will be enforced without
fear, favor or evasion, and we pledge
our candidates for representatives In
congress to vote for national prohi
bition, whenever that question may
bo considered by congress.'"
I I 301
No
A vote In favor of the adoption of
the amendment should -be marked as
above indicated.
This amendment Is submitted un
der what is commonly knovn as the
Initiative Provision (Sections IA and
ID of Article v) of the constitution.
Nebraska Dry Federatlonlst.
PROHIBITION REDUCES DRUNK.
ENNESS 75 PER CENT IN W. VA.
Fred O. Blue, state commissioner
of prohibition of West Virginia, has
made public a statement covering
two years the state prohibition law
has l)een In effect. His report, based
on figures recived in official reports
from more than 50 municipalities,
shows that during this two-year pe
riod there has been a reduction of
50 per cent In crime and 75 per cent
in drunkenness throughout the state.
There' were 19,567 arrests tho year
before the law went into effect, while
during the first year after the law
was passed this number was reduced
to 9,950, and during the past year
to 3,357. Not the least significant
feature of this report is the fact that
crime continues to decrease. Sad
news for the liquor men, but nev
ertheless true. American Issue.
MONTANA DEMOCRATS FAVOR
PROHIBITION
The Montana democratic conven
tion, which met on the 14th of Sep
tember, passed a strong resolution in
favor of state prohibition. This step
was taken with tho support of the
democratic members of congress and
at the urgent request of the demo
cratic governor. The platform reads
as follows:
"We favor the adoption of the
pending referendum providing for
WHY NOT EVERY DAY?
Mayor Thompson of Chicago,
fn speaking of the effect of Sunday
closing of saloons in that city, re
cently said:
"Some things have worked out In
tho enforcement of this Sunday clos
ing law that I never realized or un
derstood before. One is the big re
duction in crime which has followed
the closing of the saloons on Sun
days, The Monday morning arrest
books show only 90 to 50 arrests
on the preceding Sunday, whilo be
fore Sunday closing went Into effect
the arrests on Sunday used to ayer-
ago from 400 to 500."
4
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