The independent-reporter. [volume] (Skowhegan, Me.) 1909-1955, 1912-01-11
THE FIRST PRIZE ABSTRACT.
Writer by Helen Pratt of the Junior
Class of the High School.

Class of the High School.
AS the result of prizes offered by the
Clementine Weston w. c. T. [. for the
best abstract written by the students
of the High school and upper grades
on the recent lecture of Mrs. Til
linghast given here, Miss Helen Pratt
was the winner of the first prize in
the High school. 1t is to be regretted
that we are unable to publish all the
abstracts, but lack of space will permit
only the publication of Miss Pratt's
which is as follows
This is an age of economy. The
large piles of waste materials which
in former years, were thrown away
are now used for wall paper. Wool
scraps are sold to the ragman, he,
in turn, sells them to the manufactur-
er. The latter turns them into wooden
cloth or what is commonly known as
shoddy AT certain fishing station,
a large pile of fish heads was seen
in all stages of decay. When a gen.
tleman was asked why they were not
thrown away he said that nothing was
wasted. These fish heads were to be
used for glue. From this we see that
now fortunes are being made out of
what was formerly thrown away.
This is not an age of economy in
that eight hundred and seventy five
thousand (875000) human lives are
thrown away by the liquor dealers.
We are proud to convert rubbish into
useful things, but instead of driving
out saloons, we are opening our states
to them.
The liquor agents have said that
legalized saloons will drive out the
illegalized ones. Chicago has eight
thousand $4,000 licensed saloons, but
she also has from twenty to twenty
five thousand 100000 to $4,000 that
are not licensed. BY this example we
can see how much truth there is in
their words. The Chicago officials
say they are bankrupted and yet they
realized a revenue of eight million (S,-
000,000) dollars from the saloons.
Then why are they bankrupted* 1t
is because the saloons cost them
eighty million (S0,000,000l dollars
and when one pays out ten (10) dol
lars and receives one u. little can
be gained. The money they paid out
went to support penitentiaries,
asylums, iails, and the like which the
saloons kept full
Again the liquor dealers tell us
what great advantages lie in license
because of lessened taxes. The taxes
We're fifty-seyen go cents lower in
the prohibition states than in the
licensed ones for the five years ending
in 1910. Boston is nine million o.
000,000) dollars more in debt now
than she was when she began to sell
liquor. From this we see that in
debtedness is inci eased by liquor.
They say there are better roads
in licensed states Extensive travel
ing in prohibition states have proved
this to be untrue. On an average,
prohibition states pay one-fourth G-D
more for roads than licensed states
pay.
1T is claimed that schools and bust
ness are better in the licensed states
One-fifth do more go through the
schools in the no-license states. 1t
helps only the business of the saloon
keeper. Money can be spent in only
one way, If the saloon-keeper gets it,
it cant buy groceries.
I'm the four years between 1909
1914 there was a great famine in
Ireland All the distilleries were
closed. Yet in those four years of
famine re was bought than in the
next four years Of plenty when
saloons were open.
Thus Maine is better off today than
she would be if she opened her towns
and cities to the saloon. In New
York about seventeen 90 out of
hundred Q00l own their homes, in
Massachusetts eighteen C8) out of
hundred t100) own them hut in Main
forty (49) out of hundred O00l
own them. Maine has fewer paupers
and criminals. and supports more
schools than any licensed state in the
union.
And yet they say prohibition is
failure. We might as we'll say that
Christianity is failure Just because
a few Christian peopl do wrong we
do not say that Christianity is a.
failure. A great principle should not
be judged by individuals. Our laws
are broken, yet because they are
broken, We do not cast them aside as
worthless Prohibition does not pro-
hibit when we have lax officers, never
the less it should not be called
failure for good and all Our work
is to abolish license.
I'm New York, it was estimated that
one hundred thousand G00,000) dol /
lars worth of watches and diamonds
were stolen in month Recently
this figure increased one-half 0-2) /
But We do not say that as long as
some people will steal, they might just
as well have a license to do it.
The rumseller steals honor, home, /
and manhood. He is the worst kind
of a thief. He should, by rights, be
put into Jail and yet he has license
to do all these things because he paid
the state a certain sum for these |
rights. Dollars and cents cannot |
make up for what the rumseller |
steals.
Many children are crfpples or