The Birmingham age-herald., 1916-05-24

As employees of the liquor interests
 are constantly contributing libelous ar
 tiles concerning the city of Birming
 ham in various publications, President George B. Ward of the city commission
 is kept busy refuting the islanders, ac-
 cording to his statement issued yester
 day and which he mailed to the Survey
 as reply to an attack on birmingham
 written by James E. Rice, which is also
 to appear in the Survey. f. "The Survey" said Commi ssioner
 Ward, did me the kindness of sending
 an advance proof of the article of
 James E. Rice, who is generally re- ported to be an employe of the Rose Liquor company of Chattanooga, and
 after reading it I felt it my solemn duty to answer it's calumnies against the city of Birmingham.
 q am not a prohibtonist and have never voted the prohibition ticket, and
 I enjoy a good drink of liquor as well
 as any healthy citizen, but at the same
 time, I submit in all fairness that the recent Confederate reunion clearly
 showed the excellent effects of prohi-
 bition. Whisky in Birmingham hereto fore has meant strife brawls and kill ings With prohibition the city is re- markedly peaceful, progressive and . prosperous!
 Following is the statement written by Commissioner Ward to the Survey to refute the latest attack by MT. Rice
 WARDS STATEMENT | Referring to MT. Rice's article, it
 may be well at the outset to state that | it is generally reported MT. Rice rep | resents the Rose Liquor company of Chattanooga. This company is probably the largest wholesale liquor distrlbu- tor in this section.
 "It is understood to be financing the suit now pending in the supreme court of Alabama, which attacks the BIT mingham liquor inspection law, There fore, MT. Rice's argument and figures may not be .disinterested. They cer- tainly are not accurate. For instance, Birmingham's losses on account of liquor licenses were not $2O0, 900 year. as stated py MT. nlce' but were $140.000. This is partly onset however. by licenses from other busl- ness which use the old saloon locations. AS to the morality involved in the city inspection law, the people or BIT mingham who are trying to better con ditions by indorsing said law, are prop ably just as good judges as MT. Rlce' who lives in Chattanooga, and Is trying to break down Alabama's prohibition laws for consideration that IS suieiS not altruistic.
 This inspection law was designed to do two things:
 .r To supplement the state law by systematic check on all shipments com ing in. through the 15 or 70 express or fees and railroad depots within the cits limits. It is our system only that IS preyenting people from receiving the le- gal allotment from more than one sta tior each two weeks. Heretofore, boot leggers would get it from many sta tions, and none would know it. '2. It is designed to raise enough rev enue to pay for this systematic inspec- tion, which we claim is authorized un der OUT police powers, the fee charged being large enough to assure the city against loss and the certainty of some margin. DECISION EXPECTED MT. Rice's views as to it's morality and how the different lawyers regard che lower courts decision should be held in abeyance until the supreme court of Alabama gives it's views on the matter This decision is expected within the next two weeks.
 MT. Rice Is incorrect in saving that the daily receipts average s7oo. They average about $4OO, from which the heavy expense involved must be deducted, AS rnatter of practical experience during three months it has been found that tie city's surveillance over the traf- fife has reduced shipments at least 30 per cent packages received going down from TOO to 800 per day. Referring to MT. Rices last sentence in which bootlegger said, that the business is not profitable, because there is too many of us it might be pertinent to ask why then so much distress about the situation inasmuch as they are fur nishing bootleggers the usual amount of liquor.
 AS matter of fact, bootleggins has been simply knocked out and reduced to a minimum in the city of Birmingham. It is so dangerous for one to pass a bot tie of whisky or for one to receive a bottle of whisky illegally that only the most reckless attempt it. POLICE REPORT The following report of the chief of police for April illuminates the situa- tion as before and after prohibitions:
 Drunks, April, 1915, 23s; April, 1914. A; decrease 536 per cent. Disorderly conduct April, 1915, 374; April, 1916, l1s; decrease, 3l7 per cent l Unlawful traffic in liquor, April, 1915, , 15; April 1916 117.
 l The last item reflects our inspection law, as it shows 6s0 per cent increase in efficiency.
 | "A report from the Charity hospital just turned in shows the following: Seven months preceding prohibition, $50 patients
 Seven months since prohibition. 4S1 patients, or reduction of A per cent on which prohibition must have had some bearing.
 i MT. Rice's figures about the number | of prisoners in jail is also inaccurate The average number since the first of the year | is 19. Today there are Sl prisoners in the city jails During the 12 months prior