The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1908-04-02

The following correspondence dp-
peared in the New Orleans Times
Democrat:
Prohibition and Business.
Jackson, Miss, March 4, 1905
To the Editor OF The Times Democrat:
In the report of the proceedings of
the liquor peoples meeting in your
city last week, some one is quoted as
saying that under prohibition, in At
lanta, Ga. real estate has decreased
in value so per cent" What was
meant by the statement OF course,
was not that real estate had de-
creased in value 80 per cent" but that
some saloon property had decreased
in value. 1t is but reasonable that a
house used for the sale of liquor in
some dark corner of the city might
not rent for as mu-h as the saloon
man had paid for it, at first, but in
little while it will rent for more. But
be that as it may. here is something
that Is worth thinking about as we go
along: The SrOCeTS and other dealers
assert that their trade has been much
better since the saloons clOsed-and
this is perfectly reaSCnd BILE The Drin-
cipal of one OF the public schools. in
a large section of the city, where wage
earnerS and people in moderate cir
cunlstances live, says: Il have noticed
a great many pairs of new shoes since
prohibition went into effect. and the
children are wearing better clothes
and this is perfectly reasonable.
The street car people Of Atlanta say
that accidents during the month of
January, 1908, are 90 per cent. less
than for the same month last year.
which they attribute directly TO the
absence of the SalOOn-and this isl
worth thinking about. Judge Broyles
of the police court says that the total
number of cases entered on the police
docket during January, 1907, was
1.56S, an average of IS each day. Dur
ing January, 1908, the number was 637-
an average of "a each day'-and this
is something worth thinking about He
also states that: The total number
OF cases for drunkenness during JanIl-
airy. 1907, was 553, an average of
20 IL a day. During January, 1908.
the total number was 60, an average
OF 1-2 a day''-and this is worth
thinking about also
The records of the court of Atlanta
also show that on Friday night of Jan
"a, 1908, for the first time in its his
tory. the city jail closed its doors and
not SOLITARY guest" within its halls
In speaking of this most phenomenal
incident, the Atlanta Georgian. of Sat
prday. Jan. %. said: Contrast thisI
with the records at the police station |
almost any day during 1907. Not in |
frequently the station was packed to |
Suffocation with llufortunates. a la.reel
percentage of whom were tberel
through drinking whiskey. The factl
that not a prisoner was there Satur-
day morning is pretty good argu.
ment for prohibition'-a this is alsol
worth thinking about as we 60 along. |
One Of the most distin glished police
officers of Atlanta city, whose beat is ,
in the heart Of the business district. !
saws. in discussing the condition of
things under prohibition. in contrast
with the days Of the saloon: 81 have
not seen a drunken person on the |
streets in four weeks, whereas before
the days of prohibition. j saw an aver
age of four or five a day"-and this is |
worth something in a city of over 1O0.-
900 people
Here is a clipping from the Youths
Companion Of this date. that is worth
thinking about, in the light of what
those gentlemen who met in solemn
Conclave. in your city last week. to de-
wise means to save (?) the country
from the awful evils (?) of prohibi- |
ton:
Kansas City. Kan. with a popula-
ton OF nearly 10000, is said to be the
largest city in the world without a |
saloon or gambling house. This is the |
result OF the enforcement of the law
against such establishments. A specia
attorney was appointed about two
wears ago to prosecute violatCrs of
the law He had all the undesirable |
pla-es closed within a month, and
within a year had the thanks of the