The Lake County times. [volume] (Hammond, Ind.) 1906-1933, 1911-08-07
CO.
SEES BIG
INCREASE
Number of Commitments to
County Jail for Drunken
ness and Kindred Misde-
meanors Increases Since
Passage of Proctor Law.
TIMES BUREAU,
AT STATE CAPITAL.

TIMES BUREAU,
AT STATE CAPITAL.
Indianapolis, Ind. August 5.-When
two statisticians get to handling the
same figures they are almost certain
60 reach different conclusions. because
each tackles the proposition from a
different angle and works out the
problem from his own point of view.
There never was better illustration
of this fact than is seen in statements
issued by E. s. Shumaker. state sup
erintendent of the Anti-Salon League
and J. C. Kelley. secretary of the Asso-
citation of Indiana Brewers. in figuring
out the arrests and commitments made
in the various counties of the state
under the county option law and un-
der the Proctor law. They tried to-
show the degree to which the saloon
was responsible for the number of ar
rests made. Shumaker, of course
inquired out that the saloons were re-
sponsfble for q larger percentage Of
arrests than Kelley was able to figure
out Shumaker says in his statement:
Il was very much interested in
recent newspaper article relative to
the commitments for intoxication in
the years 1908 and 1910 respectively.
In spite of the fact that DRINKS are
more easily discovered when they do
exist I'm dry territory. and further in
spite OF the fact that the liquor inter
ests in wet territory do their utmost
to nundate the dry counties of the
state, the showing is distinct triumph
for the dry cause
In 1908 the twenty-five counties
which were wet at that time and which
remainder wet under the county option
law, committed $3.50 persons for in
toxication. In 1910 these same coun-
ties committed 1907. an increase of
1777. or of 3o.5 percent
The seventy counties of the state
which were dry last year (and OF
which fifty-six were wet IN 1909 com
mitted in 1908 for intoxication 1855.
In 1910 these same counties Gall being
ary-during the YEAR, committed 1924
for intoxication- This was a decrease
of 2.412. or of 31.5 percent
The Increase in some of the wet
counties was very marked. For
example. Blackford county in 1905.
committed seventy-four for intoxica-
ton and in 1910, 446 Cass county In
creased her commitments for intoxi-
ca ton from 240 in 1908 to 453 In L.
Knox county, in 1908 sent SOL to her
bastfle for intoxication but in 1910 she
sent 1893 1t has been claimed that
frequently officials would drive drunk
en- people across the river nto Illinois
without committing them whe ntheir
Jail was full.
Such counties as Allen, Marion.
Lake. Laporte. Posey, ST Joseph. Tip
pecanoe. vanderburg and Wayne also
had large increases in the number of
commitments for intoxication In their
equity jails.
ION the other hand there has been a
marked diminution commitments for
intoxication in many of the dry coun-
ties Clinton decreased its commit
ments for fntoxicataion from 302 in
1908 to IS in 1910; Delaware from s7Z
TO SOL; Elkhart from 139 to 81; Foun-
tain from 81 to IL; Grant from sos to
446: Jefferson from IL to 81: johnson
from SO to "a; Lawrence from BAT tc
220; Madison from 400 to 269, Putnam
from 1913 to 85; Sullivan from 1913 tc
1o4. Wabash from 203 to SO; and many
other counties correspondence.
And all of this in spite of the fac
that In a great majority of cases tn,
police authorities were more vigilan
in arresting drunks under the DIR,
regime than when they had the licers
ed saloon and when DRINKS were fount
stored away in rear rooms of saloon
and were otherwise concealed.
.Of the commitments for intoxica
ton last year 1907 were in the we
counties, while 1884 were in the DIR.
counties. According to the last censu
the seventy dry counties of the stat
contained 1,57s,o06 population, Will
the wet counties contained 1.122.s7
population. Thus we see that 41.57
percent of the population of the stat
(the number in wet territory had So.
percent of the commitments for drunks
while 5s.426 percent living in dry ter
ritory, committed only Ala percent o
the drunks last year
Mr.. Kelley tackles the propositio
from an entirely different angle an
apparently. reaches conclusions tina
are as satisfactory to the vets as tn
conclusions OF Mr.. Shumaker are t
the drys- Mr.. Kelley says:
From the report at the office of tn
state statistician. we have compare
the percent of arrests in 1908 and 1911
in the seventy counties which vote
against the licensed saloon under tn
county option law. We find that 3
percent of all arrests made in 1908 /
the seventy counties were for publ
intoxication and that the arrests 70
the same offense in 1910 tornleo ..
cont OF the total number or arrest
thus showing an increase of percer
of the total number of arrests for IL
toxication in dry 1910 over wet 100
This is really the first accurate CON
parison that can be made with vie
to showing the effect of local prohih
ton as brought about by the Ham
law.
"A comparison of the years 1908 ar
1909 were not nearly SO significant z
the comparison of the two years ju!
mentioned because of the fact tina