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
