The Montgomery advertiser., 1908-02-16

enforcement of the prohibition law.
 He says that when people are not per-
 nitted to spend money for bad pur-
 pose they will invest it for . good
 purpose. Mfr. Atkinson. vice president
 of bank in ArmourdaIe, one of our
 suburbs, says that his business has in-
 creased thirty-six per cent. The pres
 idcnt of one of our savings banks has
 written me that not only has its busi-
 ness increased fifty per cent. but that
 seventy-ive per cent of the new cus-
 toners are of the class that formerly
 spent all their money for liquor.
 "One of our business men who was
 asked his opinion wrote to a friend
 saying: I have been in business in
 Kansas City. Kansas. for seventeen
 years. and there are more houses. and
 good houses. being built; more people
 are buying homes. and good homes.
 and seeking investments than in any
 year since ehave lived here. Like
 most of the business men of this city.
 in the past have believed in high H.
 cense and local option. Now I am fin
 favor of closing the saloons and keep
 ing them closed. Drinking IS not q
 necessity: it is only a habit
 ''The people who objected to the
 enforcement of the prohibition law"
 continued Mir. Trickett, "said that 1t
 would destroy the prosperity of our city; they said 1t would stop the erecs
 tion of buildings; but the official re- cords show that during the year after
 the closing of the saloons. from July
 1, 1906. to July I, 1907. Kansas City,
 Kansas showed an increase of 209.7 per cent in building operations--the largest of any city in the Union. The next largest gain was seventy-seven per cent. Three times as many labor- ing men bought homes In our own last year as, ever before in it's history. 'The effect upon crime and disorder has. been similar. The closing of the saloons has reduced our court expenses S25,O00 a year, which was formerly spent in the prosecution of criminals. During the time the saloons were open there was never term of court that did not require from six to eight weeks to try criminals. Since then no term has been more than three weeks. and one term we, did not have . single criminal for trial. This month the same court opened it's session. and it took only three days to try aIls the criminal cases on the docket. Before the saloons were closed the. city fath- CTS were wondering where to get money to build an extension to the jail. Today its doors hang idly on their hinges; we have no use for the jail we have. sss
 T have a letter from the Mayor of city where there were only two are rests last year and those were two men who got drunk at Independence, Mo. and took the wrong road to get home. I have a letter from the police judge of our own city showing that day after day goes by without a single arrest in a city of over 100000 people. Fifty thousand people gathered in the heart of the city during carnival week last fall and there were only four arrests. The men in charge stated that it would have been impossible to have had it had the saloons been open T have here letter from the coni- of the poor farm stating that there has been a wonderful reduction in the sending of. old people over the hill to the poorhouse.' Their sons and daughters are taking care of them in- stead of making them subjects of charity.
 T have letter from the secretary of the Associated Charities of our city stating that for the first time in twen- ty-iive years the Associated Charities had not burden greater than It could bear.
 T have letter from the director of the orphans home, stating that during the time the saloons were open the av- craze number of children they had to care for was hfty-six. Today they have twenty to care for. less than half the number they had when the saloons were open.
 Every saloon was closed on July 8, 1908. Less than three months after , that our schools opened. In former years we had to employ from six to eight additional teachers by reason of the increase in population, but there was such an unusual demand for ad- that we had to employ eigh- teen teachers. went to the teachers and said; From whence comes this l large demand for admission to our pub- | lie schoolsT The result was a list of | 500 boys and girls from 12 to IS years | of age who attended the public schools l ast year for the first time. And they | gave as a reason why they had not | attended in former years that they |