The Bamberg herald. [volume] (Bamberg, S.C.) 1891-1972, 1914-11-26

vey.
automatically a drunken mob than
sober people.
That was seven years ago. Later
I was chosen mayor of Samara and
subsequently elected to the Duma on
an anti-vodka platform. In the Du-
ma l proposed a bill permitting the
inhabitants of any town to close the
vodka shops. and providing also that
every bottle of vodka should bear a
label, with the word poison. At my
request the wording of this label, in
which the evils of vodka were set
forth, was done by Leo Tolstoi. This
bill passed the Duma, but in the i'm
perial council was amended and final
.ly tabled.
Before the Emperor.
Il then begged an audience of En-
peror Nicholas. He received me
with great kindness and listened to
me patiently. He was impressed
with my recital that most Of the rev.
olutionary and socialist excuses were
committed by drunkards. He prom
ised to speak to his minister of A.
nance concerning the prohibition OF
vodka.
disappointed at failure of my
bill, |. had abandoned my seat in the
Duma. It was evident the bureau
cracy had obstructed the measure.
Minister of Finance Kokovsoff re-
garded it as a dangerous innovation,
depriving the government of one
billion rubles (s500,OO0,0O0) yearly.
while lobbied in Petrograd the
emperor visited the country around
Moscow and saw the havoc of vodka.
He then dismissed Kokovsoff and ap-
pointed the present minister Of fl
nance, NJ. Bark. -
Mobilization precipitated the an
ti-vodka measure. The grand duke,
remembering the disorganization due
to drunkenness during the mobiliza-
ton of 1904, ordered prohibition, ex-
cept in clubs and first-class restau-
rants. This order, enforced for one
month, showed the Russian authori-
ties the value of abstinence. In spite
of the depression of war. the paraly-
sis of business and the closing of
factories the people felt no privation.
Savings banks showed an increase in
deposits. There was boom in the
sale of meats, groceries, clothing,
dry goods and house furnishings.
1.-The 30,00O,000 rubles day that
had been paid for vodka were now
being spent for necessities. The av-
erage working week increased from
three and four days to six, the numer-
Gus holidays of the drinker having
been eliminated. The working day
also became longer and the efficiency
of the worker was perhaps doubled.
Women and children who seldom
were without marks showing the
physical violence Of the husband and
father suddenly found themselves in
an undreamed of paradise. There
were no blows, no insults and no
rough treatment. There was bread
on the table, milk for the babies and
a fire in the kitchen.
Seized Opportunity.
Il decided to seize this occasion
for press campaign, so far as this
is a possible thing in Russia. l Or
ganized delegations to present petit
tions to the proper authorities for
prolonging this new sobriety for the
duration of the war. This step found
favor with his imperial majesty and
an order was issued to that effect.
A similar campaign to relieve the
reliances from privileged restaurants
and clubs was successful and strong
liquor no longer was available in Rus
Sia.
THE second month of abstinence
made the manifold advantages so
clear to everybody that when We
called upon his majesty to thank him
for his recent orders he promised
that the vodka business of the gov
ernment would be given up forever"