Mexico weekly ledger., 1915-07-15
NEVER WILL 60 BACK
TO SALOONS SAYS MAYOR
Rockford. IN. Executive Tells Of Sue
e s Of Prohibition in his Live
Little City.
kansas City Starr

kansas City Starr
The mayor of the largest prohibition
city in the United States in a wet
state visited Kansas City recently
and left this message:
Prohibition is working mighty fine,
thank you. So fine, indeed, the people
wouldn't think Of going back to
saloons"
Rockford, Ill. is the city. II has
5000 people and is in the midst Of a
wet belt William W. Bennett, the
mayor, is visiting several large West
ern cities-at his own expense-to
see how they conduct their municipal
business.
Few Empty Building There.
We've had prohibition in Rockford
since 1912" Mr.. Bennett said. "The
editors of the brewery year book are
invited to come and see our city and
find out how their dire predictions
worked outfit they don't believe
what ! have 10 say about 1t.
"They told us the city would be
crowded with empty store buildings;
they cited Kansas City, Kas., as a
doleful example of prohibition. Well,
we've had prohibition nearly three
years now, gone through the trying
period of a change, and wen compare
our city and the number of empty
buildings in it with any city of its
size in the United States.n
More Bank Deposits Than Ever.
What results did you get from vot-
ing prohibition? q" Mr.. Bennett was
asked.
'The brewery orators told us the
bank deposits would decrease.
"on the contrary, they've shown a
bigger increase than ever before in
the history of our city. The number
of small depositors has increased.
who used to let their weekly
wages go w the bar have opened
bank accounts; there has been more
work done on small homes through
out the city than ever before. They've
got money now to fix up around home.
'They said there would be men out
work and business generally would
dull. 1t would drive trade to other
Strong for Prohibition.
THE best answer to that is the
of Rockford themselves.
sifty-eight out of the sixty members
# the Retail Merchants Association
# u town are now strong for pro-
Iibition. Money which used to 70 for
'ooze is now spent for shoes and
lothing and groceries. They have /
cit the increase in business. /
They said prohibition wouldn't ,
york. It couldn't be enforced. +,
Drunkenness hasn't stopped by any !
means. But So per cent Of the drunk ,
mess Of our town comes from the
.utside towns. We had smaller police !
ourts costs; smaller hospitals costs. !
he report of the coroner shows that a
ne number of deaths directly due to 1
lcoholism decreased the first year q
rom twenty-five to two. That is a I
ig saving in life, isn't it? +
Dry Cities Have the Advantage.
Il notice. concluded Mr.. Bennett.
that when the national prohibition i
mendment was up Mr.. Taft said II n
a state question and that other a
ational leaders took the same pos Q
ion. ]
The very day the prohibition t
mendment was defeated a young 9
committed suicide in Rockford. b
&c had lost his position because of '
drunken spree. He had that drunk +
\ spree across the line in Wisconsin.
here's your answer to the statement
nat prohibition is a state question.
ur experience in Rockford is UNIQUE e
this-it shows that even i'll a wet 0
Or district, the dry city, no mat
r how large it is, has a big advan- Il
Ige over the saloon ,o,,,s m