The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1914-01-23
SUPERINTENDENT RICHARDSON'S
REPORT SHOWS WORK TO HAVE
PROGRESSED IN 1918.
WORKERS EVERYWHERE
STEADILY GOING
DRY AND NOT ONE CASE OF
:
RAISE IN TAXES BECAUSE OF
LOST LICENSE REVENUE.

annual convention OF the virginia
Anti Saloon league, Richmond, Va,
January 21-23, 1914.
Under the providence of God we have
reached another milestone on the
march toward Statewide prohibition in
Virginia and the elimination of the
liquor tsaffic from our republic. Some
unusual difficulties presented them
selves during the year, owing to the
need of a clo.se canvass and education
of much new territory to insure the
election to the house Of those favorable
to the enabling act But such work
was abundantly blessed, as attested
by the splendid sentiment now repre-
scented so faithfully in the house OF
delegates.
In past years much ground has been
covered by the report of your super
intendent, but this one Is intended to
present rather the statistical side of
the activities Of the superintendent of
the Northern district than to dis
cuss any general features which will
be largely covered In the report of
the general secretary.
1t might we'll be stated that. as
whole, the work In the Northern dis
trict is much in advance Of last year,
and that in every county OF the
thirty In the district there is either
a county organization or a committee
appointed by the district snperintend-
ent. Especially as compared with con-
ditions seven years ago when the
Northern district was created. there
has been great advance in every re-
spect. There is a better and wider.
understanding of the league among the
people, and there are only few
remote places which have not been,
reached by the workers of the league.
Sentiment in favor of Statewide pro-
hibition has made great progress in
the past year: especially has the de-
mand for the enabling act assumed
large proportions This has been
shown by the election of members to
the house OF delegates favorable TO
the enabling act in all except six
counties Of the district.
The town Of Shenandoah voted out
saloons, and the contest Of the elec-
ton was won by the drys. stanton
voted dry also in December, and Cliff
ton Forge remained IN the dry column
that month. in spite of a hard fight
by the vets to reintroduce saloons
Law enforcement has made progress
IN a marked degree, especially in
Greene county and the cities of Win
chester and Fredericksburg. There
appears to be greater determination
on the part Of the people to enforce
the law. In proportion to the length
of time saloons have been expelled
have conditions improved in every res
pect, and not a community going dry
has increased the tax rate because
the saloons were voted ont.
| During the period covered by this
report (only- eleven months however.
since the last .convention) your super
intendent travelled 16, 900 miles and
delivered l48 addresses being just
few miles and addresses less than in
the preceding thirteen months. His
/ receipts were s3.29S.90 in unpaid sub
scriptions, and s1.371.42 in cash, max
ing a total in subscriptions and cash
j of s4,6T0.32 As compared with the
/ preceding thirteen months this was
I S164.63 more in unpaid subscriptions
and $439.93 in cash, or a total of
! S1,264.56. Included in this total
amount raised is an item of $3.50. 49,
secured in other ways than on field
days. About $525 of this was the re-
suit of special appeals to individuals,
/ the balance being proceeds Of print
ing, sale of literature, etc, the North
/ ern district office being equipped with
a printing outfit, the gift Of the people
which has practically paid for itself
i In the past two years,
The regular travelling expenses were
$40 06: the regular office expense
conventions, material for printing, etc,
I $77i4, making total expense OF
81 003.S4. There was a slight decrease
Of $3.50 in the regular travelling ex-
! penses in 1913 as compared with 1872,
and an inArease of s134.S3 in office
| expenses, and s1S647 in total ex-
penses But it will be observed that
( the increase in collections is vastly
more in proportion than the small in
crease in the total expenses, When 1t
i is considered that last year VAS one
/ of the most adverse years from "A H.
/ nancial standpoint We have had for a
long time. Il appears that this report
| Is unusually good.
Last August your superintendent re-
| sponded to an Invitation OF the tenn
perance women led by former
Richmond woman, and aided in a dis
pensary fight in Barnwen county,
South Carolina. The contest was an
exceedingly hard one from the be-
| ginning, and the dlspensary adyo-
Gates had every advantage Of pohti-
cal headers and machinery and. sad 10
say, some leaders and many members
| Of churches of every denomination.
| In the end the dispensary won. In
six days your superintendent covered
! the county, making thirteen addresses,
/ the expenses of the entire trip and
time OF the speaker being paid for by
| the women of Barnwell county.
Neither time nor space will permit u
discussion Of the inquiry of the dis
! pensary system. But iii proar 'tutes
directly the local government in the
! debaunchery of it's own citizens. and
rewards the greed of church members
! and other taxpayers for the dollar so
! made in that respectable, yet damna-
I BILE, phase of the liquor traffic. Suf-
flee it to say that II one would under
stand many Of the apparently mex
plicable happenings in political life
.~GsEeIt5ia. Aiaa~.lssats esA-
rectly upon the dispensary system in
14ftT.t Et-ttt,- past e-fd~ f>t---.st. mt
| About 10000 pages of literature
were printed and distributed by the
| Northern district office during the
past year: the correspondence has in
creased fully thirty per cent, and the
general correspondence with various
parts Of the State In application for
/ literature, etc, has also increased con-
siderably. This has been largely due
to the fact that the superintendent Of
the Northern district is also the ed
| itor of the Virginia Issue, and that
many inquiries come in connection
with the work ON the paper; and ii
may he stated here that IN addition to
his regular field and office work he