The Washington times., 1910-06-09
SALOON REFORMER
FLAYS PROHIBITION
Organizer of Brewers Vigi-
lance Committee Points
Out Laws Defects.

Citing figures furnished by the Of
fetal organ Of the Anti-Saloon League,
giving records on file in the internal
revenue Offices, and quoting President
Taft to support his arguments against
prohibition, Percy Andreas. Of Cincin-
natl, magazine writer and leader of sa-
loon reform movements in Ohio, today
delivered a scorching arraignment Of
prohibition at the closing session Of the
fiftieth convention OF the United States
Brewers Association
Mr.. Andreas is an English university
graduate, who was sent TO the United
States from London several years ago
10 manage a group of British syndicate
breweries.
His activities resulted in the organiza-
ton of the Ohio Brewers Vigilance
Committee, which has revOluuonized
the saloon business in that State and
stamped out hundreds of cheap saloons
and dives that for years defled police
regulation
Trustees Elected.
Just before the convention adjourned,
TO meet next year at a place to be Sc
Iected in the spring Of 1911, the follow
ing trustees We're elected for three-year
terms:
Edward Ruhl, oBston; Herman
Strant Pittsburg; Charles Wiedmdnn,
Newport. Ky; Albert Cary, Washing
ton. b. c; Rudolph Brand. Chicago;
Rudolph J. Schaefer, New York; Louis
Huerich, Seattle, Wash.
BY a unanimous vote the associate
membership does for year were in
CREASED from $40 TO 500
The statements made by Mr.. Andreas
in his speech to the Brewers AsSocla-
ton contain sensational charges ana
startling information regarding the St-
feet the prohibition movement has had
upon communities where II has been IN
force for many years and where IL mas
but recently been put on trlal-
Backs Arguments With Figures.
But the arguments advanced by Mr..
Andreas to prove his assertions appear
TO have been made invulnerabie against
the criticisms of prohibiuOnists and at
tacks by enemies OF the liquor traffic ny
a cloak of mail woven in part from the
official facts and figures furnished Dy
the prohibitionists themselves and IN
part from such seemingly indisputable
figures which the sworn officers IN the
employ Of the Internal Revenue Depart
ment furnish as Government records
Mr. AndreaS' address included some
OF the charges and supporting figures
that are given in recent article IN
which he explains the purposes OF the
various vigilance committees WhlcIl
have arisen all over the country and
which are said 10 be a direct out
growth of that which was organized
in Ohio by Mr.. Andreas.
In that article are quoted letters from
MAYORS and other municipal authorities
commencing the work performed py
such committees for their Work IN
eradicating such evils Of the cheap
and unregulated saloons as the ponce
have been unable TO stamp out.
& In opening his address Mr.. AndreaS
frankly admitted that he does not be
2 lieve as many liquor men and brew
ers believe. that the prohibition or the
liquor traffic has a retaTding influence
on the commercial and social progress
of a State or community, merely De-
cause il destroys an estaollsheu lrao o..
or because It throws a man OUT %
work and causes a depression IN rea
estate values and increases taxation
People Get What They Want.
THE fact is" said the speaker. land
we should face il, that if prohibition
were really wanted by the people they
would not care a pin head what il
cost them or US 10 get H. FIoiiloilIOi
is the curse il is simply because II Is
does not destroy the demand for liquor
nut merely viUiates the channei
through which the supply flows ina
satisfies the demand It IS the lower
ing of the moral tone Of the community
consequent upon the shocking hypoc
risv bred by the prOhibitory law Whlci
is at bottom of the business staSna
ton which invariably follows the I'm
position of that law
Discarding "every argument eve
made aginst the prohibition movement,
and waiving special statistics advanced
to prove its effects, Mr. Andreas con
fined himself to Two general facts, on
furnished by the prOhibitiOnists and IN
other by the Internal Revenue office
He repeated the words of a former edi
tor OF the Anti-SalOon League organ
that in the past fifteen years som
3S.OOOO 900 population has been placed un
der one form or another Of phohibi
ton.
Would it not be imagined" he ar
gued that IL would have a practicall
annihilating effect on the liquor trafh
for almost One-half of the population
Of the United States to declare for pro
hibitiOn? The prOhibitiOnists refrai
from telling what the effect has beer
But the Internal Revenue officials te
II in eloquent figures.
Elm the fifteen years Of the reign Q
prohibition the per capita cOnSumpuO
of whisky has increased more than
per cent, and the per capita cOnSump
ton Of beer has increased more than
per cent.
Thanks, then, to the success Of Pre-