Wessington Springs herald. (Wessington Springs, Aurora County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1891, 1889-10-18
APPALLING. STATISTICS

APPALLING STATISTICS.
:CONvINCING FACTS FROM LEADING
HIGH-LICENSE CITIES.
Results During the First Three Months of
the ST 900 License Experiment in Mas
sachusetts-An Increase of 8 Per cent.
in the Number of Arrests for Drunken
ness in Boston, as Compared with the
Same Months of lssS-Other Failures.
From the Voice]
Boston, Mass.-The new Massachll-
setts high license law has been in opera
ton throughout the State since May. 1t
fixes minimum saloon license fee of
81 900 per Wear. 1t restricts the number
of saloons.So one for every five hundred
of the population in Boston and one for
every one thousand i'll all other cities and
This measure is responsible for the I'M
usually heavy license majorities in the
cities last December and for the defeat
of the prohibitory amendment in April.
The voters were charmed by the revenue
argument that it held out, and they per-
mitted themselves to believe the claims
of the liquor men and the daily papers
that it would reduce intemperance and
crime.
Careful investigations that have been
made show that high license has not
operated as a Temperance policy, and
that the evils resulting from the liquor
traffic have been increasing the same as
before the enactment of the law.
The Boston Advertiser ecently printed
pretended summary of the operations of
for
summary prominence was given to the
figures showing the decrease in the num-
Der Of the saloons and the increase in the
revenue. Attention was paid incidentally
to the arrests for drunkenness, disorderly
conduct, etc., but the facts presented were
insufficient and many of the figures were
incorrect. An independent investigation
was made by the editor of the Campaign,
Prohibition paper published at Need
ham. He obtained official reports from
Chiefs of Police in eighteen cities, and
the statistical presentation thus made is
startling.
The following table shows the situation
in Boston, the saloon statistics being
taken from the Campaign and the statis-
tics of arrests being those officially fur
Arrests
No. of saloons. for Drunkenness
800 ic1 $1,000 lic) cs4oo ncl (sl,ooo licy
IA; '' $50 # # IL; Is Is
Total ............ 1921 $3.50
study of these figures shows that
despite an increase in the license rate
from $500 to 81 200, and despite a reduc-
ton of one-half in the number Of sa.
looms, there was an increase of Is per
cent. in the cases Of drunkenness during
the first three months of the law.
The following are the figures for other
cities, all of them worthy of very care
full examination:
Fall River-Number of saloons in 1888
dow hcense), 26O; in 1889 (high license),
IS. Arrests for drunkenness in May June
and July OF 1888, 1888; same months of
1889, 345.
Lawrence-This city was under prohi-
bi!ion in 1888. In 1889 (high license) it
has 80 saloons. Arrests for drunkenness
in May, June and July of 1883, l67; same
months of 1889, 372. Arrests for all Of
lenses in same months of 1883, $40; same
months of 1889. 592.
Lynn-Number of saloons in 1883 dow
license), 1870; 1889 (high license), 46. Num-
Der of arrests for drunkenness in May,
of 1889, 5l7.
| Fitchburg-Number of saloons in 1883
dow license), "a; 1889 (high l.cense), IA.
Arrests for drunkenness in May, June, and
July of 1883, 1903; same months of 1889,
lG4.
Haverhill-Number of saloons in 1888
dow icense), 81; 1889 (high icense), 81.
Arrests for drunkenness in May, j ne, and
July Of 1888, 81; same months of 1889,
| IA. Arrests for all otfenses in same
months of 1888; l73; same months of
| 1889, 227.
Taunton-Number of saloons in 1888
| dow license) IS; 1889 (high license), 49,
Arrests for drunkenness in May, June, and
Julyof 1888, l76; same months of 1889,
| 1913.
Salem--Number of saloons in 1888
dow licensel, 36; 1889 (high license), Is.
Arrests for drunkenness in May, June,
and July of 1883, 3l2; same months of
1889, 1874.
Lowell-Number of saloons in 1855
| dow licensc), los; 1889 (high license), ga
Arrests for drunkenness in May, June,
and July OF 1855, 935; same months of
1889, l,02i
New Bedford-Number of saloons in
1888 dow license), l04; 1889 (high license),
80. Arrests for drunkenness in May,
June and July Of 1883, 246; same months
of 1889, 23S. Arrests for all otfenses in
same months of 1888, SAG; same months
of 1889, 40
Waltham-Number of saloons in 1883
dow license), IS; 1889 (high license), A.
Arrests for drunkenness in May, June
and July of 1888, "A; same months of
1889, 81. Arrests for all otfenses in same
months of 1888, l39; same months of 1889,
1877:
I Woburn-Number Of saloons in 1888
dow license), As; 1889 (high license), IL.
Arrests for drunkenness in May, June
and July OF 1888, IS; same months of
1889, 81.
Everywhere in the State, as these re-
turns show, the first trial Of the very stiff
high license law has been attended by in
creased drunkenness and crime, despite
the fact that in each city where the
saloons are licensed the number of dram
shops has been greatly decreased-in
several cases more than so per cent