Wessington Springs herald. (Wessington Springs, Aurora County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1891, 1889-05-24
TWO SYSTEMS ON TRIAL
COMPARATIVE MERITS OF peo,Y,,
TON AND HIGH LICENSE.

COMPARATIVE MERITS OF PROHIBI-
TON AND HIGH LICENSE.
1sno"in'o"s Failure of High License in
fenhsyivania - Startling Increase of
crime and Drunkeuness-str0ng Testi-
"Aony from Iowa and Elsewhere.
from the Voice.l
Last week the Voice printed statistics
OF arrests in Wilxesbarre, Pa, with two
years OF low license and two years of high
license - The figures were taken from the
Leading Republican and high license organ
OF WaKesbarre, the Record. They showed
tnat the total number Of arrests, as we'll
as tne arrests for drunkenness and as
s sn nave increased under hig b license.
Inc record, commenting on the facts,
expressed disappointment at the failure of
the brooks law to reduce intemperance
anu crime. 1t added that high license had
similarly failed in the other interior cities
of the State.
Inc tecord was right. Reports to the
voice from the officials of some Of these
inferior cities, as we'll as from Pittsburgh
ana Allegheny, show that the volume Of
crime ana drunkenness has not decreased
since the Brooks law went into effect. but
IN most instances has increased.
Inc statistics for Pittsburgh and Alle-
gneny, particularly, are startling. These
are the only two cities of PENNSYLVANIA,
besides philadelphia, whore the method
OF granting licenses was vitality changed
Dy tne Brooks law, and where the applica-
tioho1 that measure caused vast reduc-
tionln the number of saloons. Under
the old low license system of Pennsyl-
wanna the power to grant liquor licenses
was vested in Courts of Quarter Sessions
In an the counties excepting Allegheny
and Philadelphia. Previously to 1855
the licensing authoity was vested in the
Board OF County Commissioners in Allie
gheny County, and in a special Board of
Licenses in Philadelphia County. These
granted licenses rapidly to almost every
applicant. The Brooks law made the
licensing system of Allegheny and Phila-
delphla Counties uniform with the system
prevalent in the r<st of the State, the
licensing power being transferred in each
OF the two counties from corrupt politi-
Cal machine to non-political board of
conscientious Judges.
This change immensely reduced the
number of saloons in Pittsburgh and AL
legheny. In Pittsburgh the saloons de-
creased from $500 in 1887 to 259 in 1888;
and in Allegheny from 363 in 1887 to IS
in 1888, decrease of 1926, or more than
50 Per cent. At the same time the license
fee IN each city was raised to $500: it had
formerly been 800 for beer-saloons and
$500 for saloons selling hard liquors. It
was clearly understood by every Pitts
burgh and Allegheny liquor dealer receiv-
ing license in 1888, that if he hoped to
obtain renewal in 1889 he must strictly
comply with the law. The chief man on
the Board of Judges was Judge White,
whose determination to close up every
law-violating saloon was as we'll known
as anything could be to the rumsellers of
the two cities. Here were conditions re-
markedly favorable to the success of high
license and restriction.
But the total number of arrests in Pitts
,, burg and the number Of arrests for drunk
enness have increased in the last year.
The following are the figures IS given to
the Voice by Inspector of Police John
NcAle ESQ: Total arrests: 1887, 1855; 1888,
!; III, 443-an increase of l,S7S, or % per
cent. Arrests for drunkenness: 1887.
1914; 1888, 2, ll3-an increase of 10 per
J cent.
Henry Hunneshager, the Mayors Clerk,
sends the statistics for Allegheny. They
show that the arrests during 1883 (undel
! the Brooks law were about the same al
in 1887 (under the low license law. Mr.
Hunneshager sends statistics for sil
years. beginning with 1888, and they
are as follows: Total arrests: 1888,
1892; 1884, 2,945; 1885, 1858; 1886, 1915
1857, 3,0Sl; average for these five
years of low license, 2 1922; 1888 Brooks
law, 3,042. Arrests for drunkenness:
1888, 1873; 1884, $50; 1885, 1874; 1886, 100;
1887, 91S; average for five years of low
license, sol; 1888 Brooks law, 1874. AT
rests for disorderly conduct: 1883, s41
1884, ,o42; 1885. Lila; 1886, 1000; 1887,
1921; average for five low license years
number of arrests, arrests for drunken
ness, and arrests for disorderly conduct
were each larger during the high license
year of 1888 than during any low license
year excepting 1887:
The following are summaries for Pitts
burgh and Allegheny:
PITTSBURGH.
License s No of Total AIRES Arrests aa for
1858 $500 253 10,443 2,11s
liner.
| in 'S9-S4CO- $500 2541dec 1878 100
| Average for last five low license years:
License No Of Total Arrests for Pisoardly
S isss $50 sss So So 81 81 1, 9ss
s4oo-alo 255 dec. $50 SO 1913
These remarkable statistics call for the
attention of the people who are constant
ly pointing to the results in Philadelphia.
The decrease in the number of saloons in
. that city was proportionately less than in
Pittsburgh and Allegheny, being IS per
cent. in Philadelphia and 80 per cent. in
Allegheny. Yet in Philadelphia the ar
rests have decreased, while in Pittsburgh
and Allegheny they have increased. In
all the three cities conditions were prac-
,ically the same during 1883. Each city
was under Republican rule.
/ After study of the Pittsburgh and Al
legheny figures, it is hard to believe that
the records of arrests for Philadelphia
: have been honestly prepared. During the
last year correspondents Of the Voice
have frequently charged the Philadelphia
officials with l..xity in making arrests, and
with deliberate endeavors to cut down the
: totals by INSCRIPTIONS methods. 1t is
certain that Philadelphia is the only city
Of the State where there is chance to
claim that the law works we'll as tenn
perance measure.
Besides the figures for Pittsburgh, AL
lephanv and WilkeSbarre the Voice has