The Birmingham age-herald., 1909-02-03
Anti-SaIoon League Superin- tendents Report on Condi-
 tions In the South
DR. P. A. BAKERS SPEECH
 IS FEATURE FOR TODAY
Makes Important Announcement That Anti-SaIoon League Is Establish ing $5o,ooo Printing Plant
 at Columbus, o.

| the Anti-Saloon league workers of the south was the address last night on "The Course of the Phenomenal Change | of Public Opinion Against the Liquor Traffic" by the Rev. H. H. McNeill, said to be the biggest prohibition mover in Mobile. He was forceful speaker and the conference applauded his eloquence and oratory
 The climax of the conference will come tonight when the Rev. P. A. Baker, D. D., general superintendent of the Anti-Saloon league of America will make address. Many of the churches in Birmingham have called off | their prayer meetings for the night, and 1 others will begin early to allow their congregations to reach the First Bap- tist church by S:15 D. m He is said | to be one of the most forceful speakers in the organization and has directed | the work all over the United States Yesterday afternoon pr. Baker made the important announcement that the national league is about to establish its own printing plant near Columbus | O., and will have it operating by next ! November It will be equipped with $50,000, outfit at the start, and ulti- mately all Anti-Saloon league litera- ture for the 42 states in which the league is organized will be printed at the plant. A feature of the establish ment will be complete library of Anti-Sa1oon league literature to be kept on file for the use of all the
 states. Funds for the work are now l'heing secured from different parts of l the country.
 | The reports of the field workers from the various states given yesterday dur ing the day sessions were particularly 1 interesting.
 | For South Carolina Superintendent J. i l.. Harley reported that of AZ counties all the upper half, including 21 coun- | ties, have no sale of liquor in any form. Tt is significant fact that there are l known to be twice a many blind tigers | in the 21 wet counties as in the dry counties. While there are 361 govern ment licenses in Charleston only 14 dis | pensaries are running in the city. The | legislature now in session is practically certain to pass a state prohibition bill" | Virginia's report was made by Super lntendent J. E. Richardson. Tn 1901 when the Anti-Sa1oon league was or ganized," he said, there were 2Oe0 saloons in the state. and that number has been cut to 550 The league is using the drastic local option laws now in force and believes that another two years will wind up the liquor business in Virginia. Criminal expenses have been reduced In the Old Dominion state by more than $S0,000 annually in the dry territory. Of the 2OO0, 900 people in Virginia, 1,700 900 live in dry territory"
 Brooks Lawrence for the Alabama league reported briefly the fight against liquor in this state. He recounted the local option battles, and the passage of the statewide bill, and in ending declared that the prediction by the liquor people that an early return to to the saloon will be made has no ius- tification In fact
 Superintendent J. (. Solomon of Geor- gia declared that his state had the hard est fight of all with all the large cities openly in violation, but that all excent two cities, Macon and Savannah, are now enforcing the law. and that the fight would soon win out in these two cities. He said that in Atlanta S2OOOOO0 mora was in the banks at the end of the first prohibition year than at the beginning and that $500,0O0 was in the treasury of the city. without a single cent from liquor licenses more than in any previous year.
  than the previous year.
 C. l.. Collins of Folrida, under whose superintendency 36 of the 46 counties have been put into the dry column, reported that there are but Is wet towns and cities in Florida He said that without doubt the legislature, which meets In April. will submit a constitutional amendment to the people, and it will be voted on in 191o He expects it to carry by 25, GOO majority.
 J. w. West of Kentucky reported that the churches were waging big fight. that go counties are dry and only "A wet, but that it would require strong fight to uproot the distilling interests, which have a quarter of a billion dollars invested there.
 Superintendent w. R. Lambert of Lousi- ana said that 70 per cent of the area of his state is now dry that a big fight Is now being inaugurated in New Orleans to elect a city government that will enforce the laws regulating the saloons in that city.
 Dr. E. E. Folk for Tennessee attributed the victory in that state, not to the death of Carmack, but to the fact that a ma jorty in both houses had been pledged long before the killing.
 In his speech Dr. McNeil last night at- trlbuted the marvellous change of public opinion most of all to intelligence result ing from education, then to a new con- cepton of the meaning of personal liberty and an advance against the strongholds of commercialism. He took up the analogy Of the slavery and liquor questions, struck out against the saloon as the enemy of home, church and our institu- tions ending up with the statement that if prohibition will merely separate the saloon from politics the fight will be well worth while. He was highly commended