The San Francisco call., 1897-04-23
PROHIBITION AS
A TOWN-K|LLER
Chief Lloyd Says 1t Would
Make a Wilderness of
Oakland.
Declares That Unnatural Cond..
tions of Society Are More
Harmful Than Drink.
Saloon Closing Wuld Ony Help to
Increase the L quor Traffic cf
Afjlcent Towns.
OAKLAND OFFICE SAN FRANCISCO CALL, !
4 n

9OS Broadway, Apri: %.
Chief of Police Lloyd having been asked
by prohibition paper published in the
East some pointed questions regarding
prohibition, he has forwarded some
answers that will no doubt cause much
com ment in this city, where the question
was recently passed upon at the polls.
In reply to the question as to what share
of the police business arises from the use
of intoxicating liquors In this city, Chiel
Lloyd says that drink is far less respon-
slble for crime and poverty than the un-
natural conditions at presen. existing in
society. He says:
No accurate estimate could be made of the
proportion OF ice business arising from the
use or abuse of intoxicating liquor, as in
many instances crime really originates from
over-indulgence in liquor when no actual
proof OF that is at hand, and on the other hand
hquor is often times apparent as a cause of the
commission OF crime when 1t really had
nothing to do with II.
speak now of what we class as misdemean-
ors and minor crimes. Every year there are
more people arrested Tor the crime of drunk
enness than for any ten other crimes, yet the
police force has less trouble with the drunkard
than with eny other criminal. In this city in
1896, out of 3066 arrests, 1916 were plain
"drunks,'' there were 10 battery cases, many
OF which were due 10 liquor, and l57 cases nj
disturbing the peace and Is cases of assault
with a deadly weapon. also often attributed
to liquor.
Yet the department was kept in a constant
state of terror for nearly two months by beard
less youths who were engaged in safe-cracking
jobs almost nightly.
While | realize The great harm growing out
OF oyer-induigence in Intoxicating liquor am
not prepared 10 admit that a great amount of
the important police business is due TO that
evil, as the most hardened, desperate and dan
gerous criminals We have are not addicted to
drunkenness and nence cannot see that the
absence OF the open saloon would materially
change the status of po ice business.
In TACT. l am OF the opinion that the great
ma jority OF dangerous criminals requiring
large police forces are the direct outgrowth OF
our unnatural social and economic conditions
that breed poverty, want and despair in the
human heart That men out of employment
and unable TO secure the necessaries of life in
this land OF plenty are the first cause of a
much larger percentage of criminality than is
the liquor evil. That it is mans inhumsnity
to man and our Governments partnership in
hat inb umanity rather than mans inebriety
that demands large police force in every city.
This is the opinion OF your humble servant,
and have never been accused of being friendly
10 rum.
Chief Lloyd has very pronounced
opinions OF the effect of prohibition in
Oakland. He says:
The effect in Oakland, If all the saloons were
to be closed, would be tn at our business would
be ruined, grass would, metaphoricslly speak
ing, grow in the doorways of our business
houses, and neither drunkenness nor police
business would decrease, for the simple rea-
son that. those who wanted liquor would get 1t
in un broken packages or would cross over 10
San francisco, or go 10 Berkeley or Alameda,
our nearest nelghbors, buy their liquo. there
and come back TO Oakland to raise -. Pro-
hibition in patches will never do anything but
harm 20 the particular patch worked upon.
If the reform could become general there
light ultimately be less demand for large
numbers OF policemen in all our cities, but it
would require time to change. peoples disposI.
,e..t
their systems. Until economic conditions
bettered. l am OF the opinion that there will
be little Improvement in our criminal record,
no matter how much prohibition in patches
may be applied 10 liquor. repeat that want
and misery caused by unnatural conditions is
a grealer projenitor OF crime than liquor, in
m OpiniOn.