The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1916-12-07
PROHIBITION THE MOTHER OF
 IMPRACTICAL THEORIES SAYS COL. RUPERT TO CONVENTION
With Prohibition Territory Increasing Manufacture and @ E Sale of Liquor Increases Continuously
 Declares Brewer

states the use of dangerous drugs has increased, and of course the number of insane has increased in proportion. Prohibitory laws may limit the indul- gence of some in alcoholic beverages of large bulk, but that always results in increased indulgence in those com munitieS in cocaine and morphine and other narcotic drugs. The Com missioners of Internal Revenue in his last port estimates that there are in the United States probably several hundreds of thousands of drug ad- diets, and government figures show that while the importation of opium from the decade of 1860 to 1869 was .1,425,196 pounds, in the decade from 1900 to 1909 1t had increased 351 per cent, or to the amount of 6,435,623 pounds, without taking into account the amount smugglcd during that period.
 Concurrent with the attempt to lessen by prohibition the so-called drink evil there seems to be an inn petus to the creation of a new or far greater evil.
 Just these brief observations on the erroneous, false and misleading rep resentations and con,entions in favor of prohibitions:
 Prohibitionists claim that the next generation will drink less, but this is disproved by the police data from the state of Maine, which shows that notwithstanding the long reign of prohibition in that state the young offenders arrested for intoxication have not decreased, but rather in creased.
 The nutrition laboratories and others have been conducting experi- mental Investigations of the effects of moderate doses of alcohol on man. The, results are entirely too inconclu- sive to warrant the formation of opin- ,on or the passage of any radical measures with reference to alcohol as a beverage. But these experiments for injurious effects are confined to alcoholic drink. Why not food? How would results compare if experiments were made with the same man to as- certain the results of a hearty meal of corned beef, and cabbage, broiled lobster, ice cream and coffee or other heavy food? Many of the luxuries we induIge< in are momentarily de- pressing, but that does not signify that they are to be put under the ban of society. I have it upon competent medical authority that the deleterious effect or inpairmens of efficiency is three times as great in the case of a heavy meal as it would be in the case of moderate alcoholic drink, and that the effect of the drink passes off much more rapidly than that of the food. Some high authorities contend that light alcoholic beverage is neces- sary, beneficial and stimulating for many people, and for all under cer- tain circumstances
 There is no basis for the assump- tion that alcoholic drink plays any material or serious part in the efi- ciency, punctuality or attendants of labor. These are matters concerning which the government through it's various labor, Industrial and Work mems Compensation Commissions gather information, and in the re- ports of these commissions it appears that the percenta of accident, ab- senteeism or lateness on the part of labor which may be laid to the use of alcoholic drink is exceedingly small and practica1'v negligible When we are conside- . : industrial accidents we must not overlook the clements of fatigue and monotony. These fre- 1,1out1v 6o while alcohol se1dor,, doaz