Evening journal., 1916-12-18
MOVE Oh TO STOP
"EOOZE" On BOATS
Hundreds OF Letters TO &c
TO United States Committee
Having Jurisdiction
DRUNKENNESS
ON RIVER CRAFT

PHILADELPHIA, Pa. Dec. 18.--
Hundreds Of letters arc to be sent TO
members OF the Senate judiciary com
mittee protesting against the sale OF
liQuor--in many cases il is believed.
10 minors-abOard passenger and eX-
cursion boats which ply ON the rivers
and hsrbors OF the United States. es-
Decially on the Delaware river. Sell
ing Of intoXicants was severely criti-
cised at a meeting held on Friday at
the Home OF Methodist Deaconesses,
No. 609 Vine street. under tho au-
spices Of the "Welfare League Of the
Sixth Ward and Vicinity" and a COM
mttee OF the Social Service Commits
sion of Pennsylvania.
A. !. Kinkade or the commission,
told OF his personal observation on a
Sunday last GUNNER He said that as
soon as the excursion steamsh p left
the wharf the sale OF liquor started,
and the bartenders did not discrimi-
nate to whom they sold, whether
young or old Those under twenty
one years could go right to the bar
and procure as much liquor as they
desired he alleged.
Youngsters lnebriated.
He said he noticed that very soon
xoung girls and men. who, beyond a
doubt were under age, were drunk
and that their actions were very indis-
Greet. When he told the captain Of
what he saw and threatened 10 report
the cond tions, the officer merely told
the bartenders to watch themselves
and not to sell to anyone they thought
under age.
On the occasion when he was on the
boat, it seems there was an extra
quantity Of "booze" aboard, he said
and that when the boat neared Phila-
delphia the engines were slowed down
and the boat did not dock until all in
toxicating liquor had been sold. This
is the prevailing condition among this
class of boats, be said, judging not
only from what he observed but from
what he has heard.
When people become too noisy and
troublesome from drink they are
usually put in the hold and there al
lowed to stay and sleep the "drunk"
of.
A woman who attended the meet
ing said that not only excursion boats
carry on this practice. but numerous
ships from foreign countries did so
also, and that last summer a woman
became intoxicated while on a ship
in the middle Of the river and fell
over the side and was drowned.
Committee IN Favor.
Charles S. Walker. chairman Of the
committee Of the regulation Of the
sale OF liquor Of the Welfare League
stated that he had been to Washington
this week and all the members OF the
judiciary committee Of the United
States Senate, on which are eleven
Senators, in whose hands the bill re-
etricting the sale Of liquor is, said
they were heartily in favor OF the bill
end would try TO get It through the
Senate before March. This is the third
time the bill has gone as far as this
committee. The bill was first intro
duced in Congress in 1912 by ex-Con-
gresham Michael Donohoe.
The chairman OF the meeting, the
Rev. DR.. l. c. Washburn, rector Of
Christ Church, said that IN St. Louis,
where he attended a meeting OF the
federal Council of the Churches OF
Christ he learned that on the cities
on the M.ssiss 'ppi. Missouri and Ohio
rivers the same vicious conditions ex-
ist and when he suggested TO them
20 do what the Welfare League was
doing. they passed a resolution to
make the suggestion public and es-
tahl' b a greater interest in It.
The meeting was attended by about
fifty men and women prominently
connected with uplift work in Phila-
delphia.