The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1913-11-26
PROHIBITION IN KANSAS.

PROHIBITION IN KANSAS.
THs Ysrois4dn has already pointed out the
error IN assuming that the consumption Of liquor
ia on the increase because government statistics
show that more was released from bond in 1912
than for several years previous. 1t has explained
That liquor can be kept in bond for certain
length of time only, and when that time has
uxpsred II must be withdrawn In 1912 much
nQuor stored in bonded warehouses was forced
put tr the expiration Of the time limit but there
" nothing in the government figures to show how
much of this liquor sold and how much was
gtored in unbonded private warehouses to be
haid against demand. The figures show merely
that the liquor taken from government ware
houses as required by law, and the tax thereon
paid to government agents.
Vow comes the Temperance Society of the
Methodist Episcopal Church 10 show through
the means OF official figures that the oonsump-
ton OF liquor in prohibition States is far less per
cauita than in the license States. and that II
there really has been an increase IN the amount
consumed in the nation. that increase la among
the inhabitants OF wet territory. Heretofore
there has been no way OF getting even approxi-
rnasaly the amount Of liquor consumed in pro
-AsAsssesa- States-Aat- with the passage of thu
Mahsn law by the last Kansas legislature. means
we're provided
Bat the last legislature passed tho Mahin law.
This law, in addition to other provisions. re-
auires all common carriers to report. once each
month, to the county clerks Of the several
counties all shipments of liquors delivered during
the preceding thirty days-name. address and
amount This law went into effect about May
Ist
The research secretary Of the Methodist TEN
perance society. with the cid Of Governor George
H. Hodges has investigated with a view to
certafning Just how much liquor is being con-
sumed IN Kansas. A number OF counties were
investigated. but Wyandotte. which contains
Kansas City; Marion. which is halfway asricul-
tural and halfway URBAN and johnson. typical
farming county. are taken for the purposes of
this study.
Taking these three counties basis the per
capita consumption Of liquor I'm the State is
timated at 2es gallons, as against % gallons per
capita for the nation as whole AS one OF
these counties contains the largest city In the
State 1t can easily be seen that the average for
the State would probably be smaller rather than
larger than that for the three counties taken as
the basis for estimation
The total Kansas consumption OF alcoholic
beverages estimated on these three counties. is
6,239 601s1 gallons per year Had the State
nsed Its due portion OF twentytmee gallons per
capita. the total consumption yearly would be
%
900 900 gallons
On this basis of estimate, Kansas paid her
liquor bill, S. .e66.o4, This allows 81 per
gallon for whiskey and so cents per gallon for
beer. Had the State paid It's quota of the liquor
traf1cs receipts the bill would have been s34.-
COS, 92s instead of s5,3o9, 668.04.
According to Kansas officials ninety per cent
Of these shipments were OF beer and ten per
cent Of whiskey. Moreover. these shipments go
mostly 10 foreign born Theoretically Mex
leans and Russians. The temperance society re-
port thus tabulates the facts learned under the
operation Of the Mahin law;
Kansas population .....,..............1,G9 o94s
Liquor consumption .............. $3.50, Col 81
Paid for liquors OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES. 5000 666,0s
Paid per capita NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS..
Per capita cost IN nation whole. .....,..2100
AT rate Of S2l per capita. Kansas
would pay .......................s 34,509 929 /
Saving due 10 prohibition .......... So. FOG 2e3
The figures Of the three counties selected as a
basis for estimating the consumption in the State
are even more impressive considering the fact
that large city-Kansas City-is In one Of
them and smaller cities are in another
The county Of Wyandotte, in which is located
Kansas City, according to the report Of Mr.
Frank NJ. Hoicomb county clerk. TO the governor.
used 46.s33 gallons OF liquors in August, 1913,
when the average temperature was about one
hundred degrees. There 1o0,06S Inhabitants
OF that county and they drink more than any
other one hundred thosand people in Kansas
But II the consumption for August liz taken as q
hasia each citizen Of that county used only five