Bridgeton pioneer. (Bridgeton, N.J.) 1884-1919, 1908-08-27

LOCAL OPTION
STEADILY GAINS.

Bridgeton will decide for itself in
November whether or not it Shall have
liquor sold over legalized bars. 1t is
an important question, and this city is
one OF the few places in New Jersey
which has local option privileges.
All over the country the forces ar
rayed against the drink evil are work.
ing hard and making great progress.
Along with the rest of the country
Bridgeton will stand against license in
the November vote.
In its Year Book for 1908 the Anti
Saloon League tells of the progress Of
the fight against liquor in the various
states during the past twelve months.
one OF the interesting things brought
out is the attitude taken by corpora
tions and business men against the
liquor traffic.
Letters We're sent to 1000 laLor.em-
ploylng concerns to ascertain whether
they took the drink habit into consid-
Grafton in employing men. Exactly
o9Io replies were received, and of this
number 535 firms declared that from a
purely selfish standpoint and a business
precaution they would not employ any
man who was known to drink. Most
OF the businessmen summed the whole
thing up in this way: '"The young
man who drinks has simply no chance
with US, if we can get those who do
not drink -
The Baltimore and Ohio Railroad.
the Chicago, Milwaukee, the Reading,
Chicago and Alton, $500 Line, Pere
Marquette, Denver and Rio Grande.
Great Northern, Pennsylvania, Cana.
dian Pacific, Wabash, and a score of
other transportation lines have issued
rules prohibiting drinking, and many
OF the systems are wedding out the
drinkers.
The state of Michigan has passed a
law to this effect:
s'No person shall be employed as en-
glneer, train dispatcher, fireman. bag
gage master, conductor, or brakeman
upon any railroad in any of it's operat-
ing departments who uses Intoxicating
drinks as beverage "
A letter from Marshall Fields g. Co.
reads
1--WE will not, to our KNOWLEDGE
place young man who drinks in our
business. and even though man
should apply for a position, whose abil-
ity and qualifications would seem to
tit him for the place. if we knew or
discovered him to be drinking man
we should decline to consider his re-
quest. Any man in our employ who
acquires the drink habit is marked
down IN our estimation, and unless we
can remove him from this serious fault
and show his error we feel compelled to
do without his service.''
This is regarded as one of the most
significant signs in the whole Iiouor
question; the belief that liquor hurts
business.
Some interesting statistics have been
gathered in the South, which has been
swept by the temperance wave. One
grocery firm in Knoxville reported that
since which time no liqour has been
sold in the city, business has increased
70 per cent, and collections have i'm.
proved. All this despite the financial
troubles.
Chief of Police Chandler of Knox.
ville in letter said that the number
OF arrests had been reduced just so. per
cent and added: ''The greatest i'm
provement to my mind has been made
in the young men, who no longer are
confronted by temptation.
Taxation has not been increased, and
the city will spend this year in schools,
SOB, 600, as against $65, 900 appropri-
ated last year.
Birmingham, Ala, finds that pros
perity has been increased by eliminat-
ing the saloons. Four big Office build
ings are being erected and, save in the
slums, there are few vacant stores and
houses.
The Year Book takes up each state
and tell of the conditions which exist.