The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1886-09-29
FACTS ABOUT PROHIBITION IN ATLANTA
a Review Of the Trade and Business
OF the City Since 1T Went "Dry.'
KeolUee Courier.


The effect of prohibition on the trade, activ-
ity and prosperity OF Il people Is question of
Interest to the citizens Of every town. IL is
generally claimed by the "wct' party that 1t
decreases trade and active enterprise The
"dry" party as confidently assert the reverse,
alleging that the suppression of the traffic in
liquor, invariably and Of necessity, improves
a people morally, socially and financially.
We have always maintaincd the latter opin-
money saved is money made, and when saved
from being spent for liquor 1t will be spent for
useful articles or be invested in the improve.
menI OF land, yielding general ny well rs local
lost to the channels Of actual trade, but is
worse than burned up, IL lessons the Will and
power to labor, lessons physical endurance,
lessons moral strength, lessons the capital TO
be used in profitable enterprise, and for all
this produces no good, but evil and evil only.
Since prohibition went into effect in Alta n
tn, the liquor dealers. always noisy, have rails
city being cut OFT. the value of property depre-
cating and the ruin Of the city being now Mt
hand. Wcwould feel sad indeed to think that
the expulsion from town or city Of the most
potent agent Of Satan would depreciate the
property of the people or ruin the people. We
never believed II and are glad to give the re-
| suit OF q statistt tca examination and report OF
the trade of Atlanta before and since prohibit
ton us positively dIsproving that prohibition
hus injured that city and disproving that
trade has constantly increased since liquor
was expelled from the city. On this subject
paper, gives the following views, edltorially,
under the caption, ave stand By the figures :"
"Has Atlanta gained or lost business since
the prohibition electton?'
This question has been discussed heartily
for some weeks, and the weight OF opinion has
been one way to-day and the other way to-
morrow. Fortunately, exact statistics ore at
hand which settle the matter beyond dispute,
isThat Atlanta has gained largely in busi.
ness since prohibition went into effect"
There are eight railroads that carry Allan
ta's freiahts. Every pound OF goods VIC sell
goes over one OF these roads. II these roads
show diminutien of outward frelghts from
Atlanta. then our business has diln nished.
the fbam OF ,ouEpg ,i ggGs mas
Let us see what the railroad books show.
The East Tennessee carried out OF Atlanta,
and billed from Atlanta, IN Goe @Lounds @ OF
freight IN August 1855; against Sl,2ooU IN ne Ao, u,
| increase in June and July. SO over the East
Tennessee road Atlanta doubled her business
this summer over what she did hist suinIncr,
and the full increase promises to be even
greater.
But, did the East Tennessee gain business at
the expense of the other roads? II 80, the
city's gain Is lost. At the Central there was
almost blockade of outgoing trains; the OF;
| the books showed gain OF 40, 600 pounds IN
| Lhe first three days of the month. The West
POINT fOaG. FepGrlS JlluL Tie DuSlneSS lOr tne
three summer months Of 1886 is ut least 30 per
cont. above the three summer months of 1885.
The Georgia Pacific reports that the increase
has been. so marked as to provoke comment
from all the depot and railroad officials. The
Western and Atlanta road max cs up Its books
on July 1st and presents them 10 the lessees,
| but the ofIiuIals state that the demand for eN:
ira depot accommodations and extra local
freight trains has been marked, and Is con-
stantly increasing Ylre RlclMsond and Dan.
vile received from frelghts billed from tian.
ia sjG0T in July 1885, and 1852 In 1856, an in
crease OF % per cent. and the increase for Au:
gust is even larger. The Georgia railroad
books are kept In Augusta, but the increased oi
Atlanta Tonnage during the Summer has been
SO marked that IL has been COMMON topic
about the depot.
This testimony is positive and irrcfutable.
| In spite OEfreight Determinations, the freight
age billed fson atlanta (Which Mcans goods
manufactured or sold In AiIanEa) has incrcas
ed on every road leading out OF the city. This
increase runs from 20 per cent. to 100 per cent
The way bills show that Atlanta freight Is
constantly reaching new territory. Against
these plain and emphatic figures, no amount
Of opinion or complaint can prevail. Com
merclaiy, Atlanta Is hO:ling her own, and
pushing ahead as rapidly rs her best friend
| rOull desire.