New Britain herald., 1915-07-07
PROHIBITION TO STAY
 IN WEST VIRGINIA
Not in Slightest Danger of Ants
 Pressure, Says Dr. Blue

Atlantic City, New Jersey. July 7.- West Virginia has been so successful in the enforcement of it's drastic pro- hibitory liquor law, which went into effect just year ago, that the state IS permanently committed to it's new policy, and not in the slightest dan ger of giving way to the-anti-prohioi- ton pressure which has been brought to bear upon it, according to Fred o. Blue, the Commissioner of Prohibit tion in. West Virginia In an address before the National Convention of the Anti-Saloon League of America here today, MT. Blue said West Virginia had demonstrated that prohibition will prohibit,-that a prohibition law can be enforced and quoted testimony from both the employers of labor and the heads of labor unions to the effect that conditions had been remarkably improved.
 He charged that the liquor interests were spending large sums of money to create the impression that West Virginia was bankrupt because she no longer collected revenue from the liquor business.
 Not Bankrupt State.
 West Virginia is not now, and has not been, a bankrupt state,'' said Mr. Blue. The state is in as healthy a financial condition as any state in the union."
 Referring to the recent decision of ho nf Ty,;f States, the effect of which is that West Virginia shall pay to the bond holders of the state of Virginia the sum of s12,ooo, o,ooo.-which debt has been a matter of controversy since the separation of West Virginia from Virginia,-Mr. Blue said.
 Able to Pay Debt.
 If we have to pay virginias bond holders this sum of money. we can do so,--the state of West Virginia has the resources to do it, and cit izenship that has met and solved her problems as they arose--we only have to pay the debt once On the other hand, before West Virginia became dry state there was annually sent out of the state for intoxicating lio- uors the sum of s15, 900, 000-s3, ,00o,- 900 more, every year, than the amount of the adjudication in favor of Virginia's bondholders. Such finan- cial drain for intoxicating liquors upon the people of the state. went on for years and would be going on now were it not for the prohibition amendment and laws pursuant there to.
 Already the liquor interests in the nation are publishing broadcast nation wide-tnat West Virginia will be sold at the front door of the nations capital to pay decree of $12,000,000.' I want you to know that the great liquor interests of the nation are actively trying to hold out and wilfully and falsely hold out West Virginia to the world as a finan- cially troubled state-a bankrupt state--a state that is about to be sold out The liquor interests, through their Journals and otherwise, are misusing West Virginia's fair name, and misleading the citizens of the nation, for the purposes among others of trying to lead the states citizens to believe that they must go to intoxicating liquors for reve- nue, and to deter other states from becoming prohibition states.
 Men Real Asset.
 Men, not money, are the real as- sets of a state. The happiness and the general welfare of it's citizens are the first obligation of a state. The generation growing up in West Vir- ginia, it's future men and women. will grow into the full stature of man. hood and womanhood without know ing the open saloon, having healthy bodies, clear minds, and clean morals, will be worth more to the state than all the material wealth. Compare, if you can make such comparison, the $650.000 of annual revenue form merly received by the state from the liquor business with a generation of boys and girls men and womep. that