The Hattiesburg news. (Hattiesburg, Miss.) 1908-1917, 1909-07-19
Prohibition Movement in the
South Is Having Effect
Upon Breweries.
fewer DRINKERS
And MORE TOPERS
March of Prohibition Forces Attention
National LaWmakers-NeW Law Co
ing In Effect January Will Put
Crimp on Express Phase of Traffic.

WASHINGTON, July 19.-As a re-
suit of the prohibition wave the actual
quantity of beer and whisky consumed
in the United States has decreased
markedly in the last two years. Be
tween four and five million barrels of
beer marks the decrease for the cur
rent year. The whisky figures are n&
complete, but it is in proportion to tne
beer increase.
In 1907 the treasury department col
lected its dollar tax on 59,56IS1S bar
rels of beer. With the figures for one
month still to come in, the year of
1908 shows consumption of only So
99l,942 barrels. Estimates for the
month of June suggest the addition of
between four and five million barrels
or more than a billion pints. The
average drink of beer is half a pint.
so Americans may be said to have
taken some two billion fewer drinks
VI peer III l9US.
The amount consumed in 1906 was
55,641S5S barrels. Previous to that
year the returns of the internal rev.
enue collector had shown a steady in
crease. Now the amount seems to be
on the down grade.
At the same time it is claimed that
alcoholism is on the increase. Those
who drink, it appears, drink more and
more to their harm.
1T is probably true to say that al
choloism is on the increase" said
Matthew E. O'Brien, congressional rep
resentative of the national prohibition
committee. This does not mean.
however, that the actual amount of in
toXicating beverages consumed is on
the increase. 1t simply means that the
habit of drinking and the bad effects
of drink are taking a stronger hold
upon those people who do drink. AS
result of prohibition, however, not
so many people are drinking. The fig
ures of the internal revenue bureau
tell the story"
The governments attitude toward
the liquor evil always stirs up the pro-
hibition people. The internal revenue
department, if not immoral. may be
said to be immoral.
According to the theory of the in
ternal revenue system" said O'Brien.
that man is the best patriot-at least
he is doing the most for the support of
his government-who drinks the most
liquor and the poorest liquor. The
government raises about half its an
nual income of a billion dollars by
taxing beer, tobacco and whisky. But
the immoral part comes in when the
government actually issues licenses for
the sale of spirituous liquors in states
which make ii absolutely illegal to own
possess, give away or sell anv form
of spirituous liquors. Take the case
OF Oklahoma. The law makes it abso-
lutely illegal to sell, or even give away
beer or whisky in that state and yet
the government issues hundreds of
tax receipts, commonly known as H.
censes, for the sale of LIQUOR in Okla
homa. Fortunately We secured from
the last congress a law which will go
into effect on January l, 1910 which
Will make it impossible for express
companies to act as agents for brewers
and distillers into dry" states C. O. d.
The decisions of the supreme court
also have helped the brewers and iq-
uor dealers. Nineteen years ago a law
was passed by congress which was
intended to prevent the shipping of
liquor into prohibition states. but a
strained Interpretation of the act by
the supreme court rendered it null
and void.
Congress, however, is beginning to
take a more enlightened view of this
matter. The progress made by the
prohibitionist cause, and particularly
by local option, during the last two or
three years. has made it impossible
for members of the national legisla-
ture to stand against this reform"
AT the next session OF congress the
prohibitionists propose to introduce a
law making it illegal TO transmit lin
uor through territory where urohibi.
ton prevails and the next step win he
resolution looking to a constitutional
amendment to prevent the manufac.
ture of liquor.