rmp? The Commoner lY, 1918 . jS: TJ , t..' . . " , '; , J'vX -,. tf :al9 .. ; " - Ak't'jl sCjjisa : j?"' .:" J'SI&a .. M -Tl ffivwi! tf? bCk ;Tnfl 'i W rfl ' Vt ,-' Ml ""H r, collections prompt And more and better i sold. This is eeneckllv evident imonr mall fellows, the little grocers and bakers. y or tnese are men born in foreign lands, heretofore strong opponents of prohibition. r are for it now after havine seen its effects itheir neighbors and their increased purchas-power. fThe big employers of labor, like the packing les, smelter and railroads, are a unit in say that prohibition has ereatlv increased tho ?tiveness of the workers. Fewer accidents in industry are reported ;o i,xi men nuve ueen snut on tneir supply or lor." GRAND ISLAND LIKES NEW PLAN Grand Island dispatch, dated April 30, says: elimination of the saloon has had a notice- beneficial effect on business, according to 'consensus of opinion of leadine merchants in ' , various lines of business. Kt. L. Joseph, secretary retail merchants' as- piauon; Tnere have been fewer calls at -my io m me past year man during the previous Tne "slow nay" neonle have shown rked improvement and some of tho "nn )ds" have come to life. As far as navlnc hills goncerned conditions are much improved img luu juuuruig classes. ?olice court records show legs disorder and jinkenness, fewer petty crimes, and a decrease immorality. Tne number of arrests on such trees has been nut mnrfl thnn 7n tiqk nonf fcring the period from Mav 1. 1917. to AnHi If 1918, the total arrests for intoxication and inected charges was 14. In the same period fc the preceding venr the nnmhoi -mna Ano om May 1, 1516, to April 25, 1917, the last it year, tne number of arrests for drunkenness disorderly: conduct was 296 as flomnarpd th 37 in the period the city has been without )pns. Arrests on Immoral counts dronnod fm 118 to 3& Only 9 assault cases have been eeted in police court in the past year, where- there were 33 assault cases during the pre ss, year. During the last twelve months JL city was wet there were 24 arrests for dis cing the peacei while since prohibition be- me euective tne number of these arrests have sreased to 18. Bootlegging might be expect- ito assume serious proportions in the city riy placed In the prohibition column, yet re were only 39 arrests on charges of yiolat the prohibition law. while during the nre- HlS Year With 24 saloons and a lnrfrA nTn"hnr K clubs there were 21 arrests for the Illegal tle of liquor. Police officers say that when ana island nad saloons they made nearly twice many arrests on any Saturday nlcrht as thev sw make in a whole month on Intoxication iargest 4 ' HASTINGS MUCH PLEASED A Hastings dispatch, dated April 30, says: Wjao year of state wide prohibition In Hastings mis done more tnan any other one thing to boost msiness, right moral conditions and stimulate le collections of old and new accounts accord- jag to the consensus of opinion of leading busi iess men, not one of whom would return to the ild regime, were it possible. i It's a "sixty-to-one shot" for Improved condl- lons In Hastings according to the pplices records the following statement of Mayor William fadgett shows. He says: 'The best evidence I can give in regard to te way prohibition is working in Hastines is ray the number of drunks handled by the police raepartment the last years of ther saloons, which was more than three thousand. During this year or dry Nebraska they have handled less than fifty cases. I am against 'the Hindenburg line' for light wines and beer." A remarkable falling off of the number of fcases docketed, tried and determined in district, Ccounty and police court records and compara tively small number of divorce cases filed in I Adams county are among the numerous other instances of improved conditions of a dry Ne braska for twelve months. C G. Lane, president of the Hastings Chamber 'of Commerce, and president of the Exchange National bank, replying to a question on pro hibition in. Adams county, says: "I will say that in my opinion it has been of great value to the county both economically and morally, an effect ri"whinh has firreatlv hfiicrhtened the tnnn of thA population of the county and increased their in terest in things of importance to the woll being of the nation. "No one poesessod of ordinary common sonso ever had the temerity to argue economic ad vantages derived from the traffic of intoxicating liquors without the dollar sign being stamped upon him so plainly that the argumont was downed In the sea of profiteering. Tho year 1917 held in its hand tho gift of complete loss of tho wintpr wheat crop and a badly damaged crop of corn, the two most valuable crops of tho county, yet In tho many drives for monoy for tho prosecution of the war and its various activities the money was easily raised. Tho savings of tho people who had not beeri accustomed to save be cause of the saloon and its influence is goner ally believed to have had much to do with tho results, so I consider the .effects to have been most beneficial. "In morality, the feature of most significance, as above stated tho effect has been to heighten and broaden tho tone of our people and to cause them to turn their minds to things worth while." REPORTS PROM OTHER OITEES AND TOWNS Below are extracts taken from reports made from different Nebraska cities and towns to tho Nebraska State Journal, Lincoln: BEATRICE Conditions without saloons are perfectly satisfactory to the business interests and citizens of Beatrice generally. GERING A. B. Wood, editor of tho Goring Courier, commenting on tho prohibition situa tion, says:' "There are no business men or well known citizens who express unfavorable opin ions, even among those who doubted the ad visability of statutory prohibition. The com ment is that the final end of John Barleycorn will come when Nebraska is also bounded on the west by dry territory as she now is on the other borders." YORK Everybody in York county is enthusi astic for state and national prohibition. It has been dry for years and as a result the county has shown great progress in material improve- ments and in education. NORFOLK The dry year in Norfolk has brought about considerable satisfaction among the business men and citizens. Business men agree that business has increased rather than declined and the absence of saloons has In fact become a welcome byword when tho topic Is un der discussion. Police court records show that only half tho number of arrests were made dur ing the first dry year as compared with tho same records of the last wet year. Only 55 arrests were made this year as compared with 156 dur ing the last wet year. All of these arrests were made for disorderly conduct or drunkenness. ( The records show that during the first six months of the dry year the traffic of "liquor had not as serted Itself; that the liquors purchased for the dry period and previous to the time that the prohibitory law went into effect were exhausted in about six months and after that the arrest of bootleggers have been booked. Interviews with prominent business men and citizens who were in the early days favorable to licensed saloons show thatthero has been a decided -change in views and that Norfolk is entirely in favor of the continuation of the prohibition law. KEARNEY Kearney has been dry three years this spring and its citizens are now so thor oughly adapted to the change that an anti-prohibition measure of any nature would bo want ing for support now in this city, which form erly rolled up a heavy vote on the wet side. The number of bootlegging cases during tho past year are limited " to seven as against nearly twenty before the state went dry. Other than that there is a dearth of business done by tho police magistrate as compared with past years, business men seem ail of one accord in that there is more money, more judicious spending and a brighter air of plenty today than was ever before apparent. NEBRASKA CITY A comparative report of the police court record for the past two years shows that the number of arresta for drunken ness during the last year of the licensed saloons was 151 to 11 during the first year under pro hibition. Five arrests were made during the past year for illegal possession of liquor, and the police force has been reduced. Merchants report that there are less book accounts and that in most instances people who formerly had accounts with them aro paying cash. SEWARD It is almost Impossible to locate an adherent to tho "wot reglmo" in Seward to day, oxcopt possibly a portion of tho ex-saloon keepers. Many of those who voted against tho amondmont aro now enthusiastic for prohibition. Tho polico records show that, under the prohibi tion law, thero were only three arrests for in toxication and theso took placo early In the year when plenty of the firewater was stored, pending the continued drouth. During tho cor responding period, tho yoar previous, forty-seven arrests wore made for drunkenness. Rooms formerly occupied by saloons filled by other lines of business and moro spaco Is eagerly sought. Banks report increased deposits, and former saloon patrons have opened up bank accounts for tho first time in their lives. Re tail collections arc in the same favorable com parison with the other conditions, and it is un questionably the unanimous verdict that proht bitlon has done what its friends claimed it would do 1. e., "prohibit." WEST POINT The institution of prohibition in this community, as Judged by its results, has been an unraixul blessing to the town of West Point and Cuming county. For nearly fifty years this town of 2,000 has been known and recognized throughout tho state as a strong hold of the rum power, as an oasis in the desert and pre-eminently "wet." From authentic, re liable and conservative sources it is known that the receipts of the grog-Bhops In this city for the last 15 years of business, averaged $150,000 per annum, this amount being spent over tho bar. The benefits of this large sum of money, now expended for the necessities of life, must bo apparent to everyone. It is seen in the im proved condition and appearance of former topers and their wives and children. At least forty men In this community were classed as drunkards for many years. They worked only as necessity compelled them. Their families suffered privation, but today theso men, without a single exception, are comparatively prosperous and happy, their wives and children are well fed and decently clad and they aro accumulating, 1n a greater or less degree, a surplus for use in ' emergencies. - These are solid facts, patent to every citizen, and the change Is so great, so beneficial, so apparent, that many former advo cates of license have changed their views and loudly acclaim the benefits of tho new law and none more so than the former victims of tha drink habit. Since the first of May, 1917, West Point had only one liquor case in the municipal court. The office of the police Judge is nonr productive, the one Justice of the peace has nothing to do. In tho opinion of many well In formed persons, if a poll were taken of the ad visability of returning to the old conditions, a very large majority of the citizens would vote to remain as we are. "COLUMBUS Columbus had thirteen saloons. Very few drunkards have been seen on th streets since May, last, and tho police Judge is not earning his salt in that lino, as there are at this time no complaints filed for drunks or flghta or any other disturbances. Merchants say they are selling and delivering more goods to the parties who were indulging in intoxicating li quors, and who spent their hard earned money in saloons, but who are now providing much better for their families than in the past. Only one arrest has been made of parties bootlegging and the ex-saloon men are strlcly obeying tho law. FALLS CITY The first year of state wide prohibition has proven satisfactory to the busi ness interests of the town's of the County. There has been no loss of trade due to the closing of the saloons and more cash has been paid for groceries by families who were troubled by the presence of saloons. The trade of Falls City has been greater and the people generally have enjoyed greater prosperity. The police court cases due to intoxication have fallen off 75 per cent. What liquor cases have caused arrests ar mostly transient bootleggers. Count Czerin knows now just how Czar Nich olas felt when he was trying to hold onto his crown with one hand and keep the duma under control with the 'other. The Austrian premier is trying to show the kaiser how engrossed he is in the task of winning the war while he if. attempting to prove to the folks at home that he Is doing his best to secure peace. t l i.C K 41 i si n m i If 1 H .'! r a