The Wenatchee daily world. [volume] (Wenatchee, Wash.) 1905-1971, 1909-02-23
TEMPERANCE An
ISSUE IN \. !.
LIQUOR RESPONSIBLE FOR 90
PER CENT OF COST OF MA.
CHINERY FOR PROTECTION OF
PUBLIC. - DRY BROADWAY
WOULD SAVE $9O,OOO,OOO AN
NUALLY,

New York, Feb. 23.-While the
idea that Broadway will ever become
dry may be looked upon as an
empty dream. since it is about the
last place in the world where such
a reform would be looked for, it is
not impossible that the subject may
shortly receive official consideration
on the part of the city fathers.
If Father Knickerboeker ever does
take up the subject it will be not
because of his virtue. however, but
because of his poverty. Costing an
nually for it's running nearly one
third of the whole expense of the ma
tional government, New York finds
each year a more and more difficult
task to raise the needed money. Va
rious means of retrenchment have
been suggested, the most surprising
of which has to do with the liquor
situation.
An article to appear in Appleton's
magazine shows the relation be-
tween these two subjects, its figures
indicating that drink is responsible
in one way or another for the ne
cessity of the existence of about 90
per cent of the machinery now main
tanned for the protection of the pub
lie. In the Glasgow prison in Scot
land out of 15,649 commitments
during one year, according to the APP
lpeton article, more than $4,000
were due to intemperance, while for
the 21,400 prisoners committed to
the Holloway jail the proportion was
even higher. Similar figures are cit
ed for other cities.
What is true of them, it Is point
ed out here. is equally true of New
York, necessitating an expenditure
in anti-crime machinery of nearly
500, 100000 annually. Even for
New York, a saving of s90,000.000
year Is not to be sneezed at, and
gets to the fast approaching limit of
his expenditures it may be that even
a dry Broadway will not be consid-
cred an impossibility after all.
''Dead Lne' Moving North.
The famous "dead line" establish
ed by Inspector Byrnes at Fulton
street more than two decades ago, is
steadily moving north. If 1t keeps on
travelling at it's present rate, the
street below which any lawbreaker
may be arrested at sight even IL the
cause for his presence in the forbid
den zone be entirely harmless. will
sh, rtly mark the northern limit OF
the city.
The latest addition to the city's
criminal geography is the establish
ing of the "hold up zone in the ia
shionable Riverside Drive district
around One Hundredth stree. SO
frequent have hold-ups become OF
late in this part of the town, which
when Byrnes made his famous eiict
was practically unsettled, that the
police force has been doubled i'll the
zone with orders to arrest on sight
any suspicious persons. In other
words, these characters will now
have to show what business tnc.'
have there THIS shifting the burden
of proof from the shoulders Of the
police.
It is not unlikely that the same
condition may shortly prevail over
the whole city as far as the Harlem
river.
While such a condition of affairs
would be hailed with JOY by all re-
spectacle residents of the city, a
very large proportion of the 244,S22
persons arrested last year take "a
very different view of the matter and
are preparing to fight the proposal
with all the means in their power.
The strength of this opposition is al
ready indicated by the statement
which has come from a prominent
source that $4,000, or one-third OF
the arrests made last year were ille-
gal. Bills have already been intro
duced at Albany to curtail police
power and the northward march OK
the dead line promises to meet a
surprising opposition.
A. F. Estes to Daniel s. Wilmer,
S2S nnn I, 5-6-7-12-12-26-27 WIZ i