Coulee City dispatch. [volume] (Coulee City, Wash.) 19??-19??, 1916-10-26

LIST, apparently gave general satisfac-
ton.
The saloons were abolished.
There was less drunkenness
There were few arrests.
There was little crime Of any kind.
Few permits to import intoxicants
were issued.
There was not activity among the
boot-leggers.
Conditions produced by the dry law
were such as to please it's most ardent
advocates.
And yet
On January LIST 1915, there was more
intoxicating liquor IN THE HOMES
of Seattle and throughout the state
than at any previous time in their
history.
During the latter part of 1915, and
especially after the state supreme
court had upheld the dry law, the
stocks of alcoholic liquors and bever
ages were transferred by sale in enor
nous quantities from the wholesal>
and retail liquor houses to the homes
of purchasers.
In Seattle alone, the sales Of intoxi-
cants during the last month of 1915
were estimated to exceed $1,5O0,000
All of this went into the homes.
For a period of about sixty days
there was peace throughout the state
of Washington. Various lines of bust
ness seemed to be quietly adjusting
themselves to the changes effected b!
the closing of the saloon doors. Tho
newspapers proclaimed that the law
was working we'll, and the news to
that effect was scattered broadcast.
But, meanwhile
Citizens accustomed, from child
hood or through many years, to mod
crate use of alcoholic beverages were
making steady inroads into the sup
plies stored in their homes befor.
January LIST.
sGradually these supplies were ex-
hauSted, except in the cases Of the
comparatively few who had been able
to invest hundreds of dollars in large
stocks, stored away for future use.
Along in March the first results of
the depletion of home supplies were
noted:
The county auditors office began to
be besioged for permits to import in
toxicants.
the number of drug stores.'
The word began slipping about as
to where blind-pigs were to be found.
The boot-legger began to get busy.
These things didn't just merely hap
The issuance of permits increased
and the activities of the illicit dealers
became more vigorous in direct re-
Spouse to the demand of those who,
in the earlier part of the year, had
been content with what they had pro-
vided for themselves in their homes.
The boot-legger, with profound
knowledge of the workings of human
nature, had been content to wait,
knowing that the demand would come,
and prepared to satisfy it, on his own
terms, when it came.
The number of blind-pigs increased.
Drunkenness in public became more
frequent.
More arrests were made.
More crime of all kinds was report
ed to the authorities.
Long lines of citizens waited in the
auditors office to obtain permits.
Boot-leggers became increasingly
active, extortionate and insolent.
From the peacefulness and good
order of the first sixty days of 1916,
during which the use of intoxicants
was ABSOLUTELY CONTROLLED IN
THE HOMES, conditions have gone
rapidly from bad to worse.
A general idea of what the situation
is at the present time has recently
been given by disclosures in the
newspapers. The unfailing tendency
of these newspapers is to make the
best possible showing of conditions.
In justice to themselves and to their
readers, they could no longer keep
silent But even yet they have not
told all there is to tell.
The illicit traffic has grown to huge
nronOrtiOnS