Williams news., 1914-10-15
PROHIBITION IN KANSAS

laughing stock af the nation, par ticuIarly because of the figures and data given out by some of the pro- hibitionists, according to J. E.. House, for 12 years past and Eow editor of one of the large Kan sas daily papers espousing the cause of prohibition, who with his wife is touring California, and is registered at the Hotel Alexandria from To- peka, says the Los Angeles Times.
 An editorial in Los Angeles ev- ening paper anent the wonderful progress of Kansas under its thirty two years prohibition government caused House to grow rather heat ed under the collar because of the erronous statements it contained.
 "In eighty-seven of 1O5 counties of Kansas there are no insane" " says the editorial.
 ''As rapidly as men and women lose their minds, they are removed from their homes and placed in the state hospitals, of which we have three at the present time," states House. "In order to accommodate the rapidly increasing insane popu- lation the largest as> lum in Kan sas is being erected at Larned, and with it's completion the state will be able to take care of more than 5000 patien ts."
 "This much for that assertion. "Thirty county poorhouses are without q single tenant" continues the editorial.
 "Why?' questions House. He answers his own question by stat ing that in Kansas the population is very thinly spread through many of the counties, particularly those in the western portion, and 1t is seldom that any but hardy persons go there to dwell, and those who are inefficient cannot remain. In addition to that the state has a sort of pension fer its poor. h. stead of sending them to county poor farms. they receive sums run ming from SIP to s25 a month for their sustenance.
 "Last winter Topeka alone cared for 700 paupers," said House. "But only about 10 per cent of them were in the poorhouse. The remainder were taken care of by families who received the money for board'
 "The calling of a grand jury with relation to criminal cases is eX- tremely rare," asserts the edit or ial.
 II don't believe the grand jury has been in session once in the 12 years I have lived in Topeka" re- plies House, ''and here again you ; have a subversion of facts. h. stead of filing charge after grand jury inv stigation, the county at- torney has full authority to file all charges. Calling the grand jury is entirely optional with the dis trict judge and it is state policy to do away with the expense attach ed to machinery necessary for a grand jury investigation. There are counties where grand jury has not been in1panelled in 'rty years, but not because there have been no crimes committed by any means.
 'Tnere is as much fl not more drinking in Kansas today than ev- CT before. The prohibition law makes it necessary to register al shipments eff liquor into the state by common carrier In June O this year 9O,OO0 quarts of liquor were registered as imported into To peka, or two quarts to every mar woman and child in the place This does not include the liquor that is brought in by automobiles, in suitcases and by hundreds o bootleggers.
 Under practically four-ftfths of the automobile seats in Kan. sas you can find booze. It is the basis of sociability. You are not invited to the home of a frienc for a dinner, but rather to enjoy a drink. have seen great beer busts at which senators, con gressmen, bankers and the lead CTS in business and the profes sions have been the leaders 1T the drinking. When the emin ent Rev. Dr. Sheldon, of nationa reputation as a churchman anC speaker, declares that there art hundreds of young men in Kansas who have never seen a sign O. liquor, he means that they have never looked upon a saloon ol brewery sign. They do know liquor and drink it in the major ity of cases, whenever they have the opportunity.
 And all of this despite tht