The daily Alaskan., 1914-11-07
WILL PREDICTION COME TRUE?

The Railway ana 4NdTAuS -NS"S magazine in it's monthly issue of November, 1914, published before the recent election in the state Of Washington, has the following to say in reference to Initiative Measure No. 8, as it was deSignat- ed on the official ballot, which car ried by an approximate majority of 15,OOO votes, and is now therefore a law, and will become effective, some authorities affirm in 30 days from date Of it's adoption, while others are of the opinion that 1t will be the 1st of January, 1916, fourteen month hence:
 "Prohibition is a vital issue in the campaign. In the past it has Eeen regarded as an effort to pass 8 law by q Few sincere people who have overlooked the practical side O. the case. Their argument has all been for the limited few who sui fer from over indulgence in liquor without thought to the financial ruin and industrial stagnation that would come to the state. seattle would be the first to suffer as it is the chief city, and it is there fore the city most interested. Here are some facts carefully compiled to, show what would result:
 "The passage of this so-called pro hibitiou law would bring financial disaster to this state, and to the city of seattle. This question is of vital importance to every business man and property owner.
 The measure as proposed would confiscate every brewery in the state Of Washington and destroy tax able property to the value of more than S17,OOO,OOO, destroy revenues of $2,6O9,OOO annually, destroy pay roll of more than $S,O00,Q0O a year, destroy a market for Washing ton grown hops and barley of more than $3,00O,O0O a year, destroy a trade that now brings to merchants and farmers S12,OO0,OOO each year, destroy business rentals of more than $5,0O0,OOO annually, destroy an export trade balance in favor of the state of Washington of over $2,OOO,O0O a year, and would de- prive $500 men of employment, not counting those engaged in the hop and barley industry and the 15,O0O persons who were employed last sea Son to pick the hop crop of Wash ingtOR.
 It should be remembered that about One-third of this vast busi- ness is located in the city of Seat tie and that the enactment of the proposed law would make vacant $50 business locations in the city of Seattle alone.
 The ridiculous part of the pro position is this: After destroying the great brewing industry of the state, wiping out the revenue, taxes, pay rolls and business to the extent of S4S,6OO,O0O, the proposed law pro yides that the same article which is prohibited from being manufactuE1 cd in washington can be shipped in from any other state or country.
 Section 15 of this so called pro hibition law provides that each per son of legal age in the state may have 36 quarts of whiskey or 216 quarts of beer each year, but none Of it can be made in Washington from Washington products, by Washington labor.
 The average per capita consumD- ton of distilled spirits in the United States in 1912 was only LA gal Ions. (See Statistical Abstract of U. s, page 600,) Under Section Is of the law proposed for Washing ion, the legal consumption of whis- key could be gallons for each per son of voting age.
 The economic destruction that would resulst, without beneficial results to temperance, from the passage of Initiative Measure No. 3, must appeal to every business man and property owner It should not be called . prohibition bill, but a bill to destroy the manufacturing interests of Washington for the benefit of other states"
 In view of the fact that the measure is now law, We are rath-