New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1916-04-20
DRINKING IN DRY STATES
Figure, to Show the Enormous Difficulties
Involved.

To the Editor Of The Tribune
Sir. note in The Tribune OF Apr! .
letter signed III. Co. in which TINS ah0hy-
nous correspondent takes issue WIN III"
proposition that reducing the numoef u
saloons reduces drunkenness ana us A''e''u'"'
vices. In support of his contention ne MAKES
General statement. without any authentication'
,hs. in the Maine cities Of Bangor and Port-
land the arrests for drunkenness are greater
in proportion than the arrests for drunken
ness in wet" cities
All we'll informed enemies OF the saiooh
know that in the cities Of Bangor and for'-
land the effectiveness Of prohibition IS IN
.ernittent. depending entirely upon the non
estv Of the city officials but | would reminc
III c." that the record of arrests for drunk
enness is no criterion as TO the amount o.
drunkenness. but only measure OF th'
efficiency or disposition OF the police force
If the city.
more proper basis for estimating the
effects OF the saloon upon crime is the num-
Der OF arrests made for disorderly conduct
and crimes Of violence The last official COM
pilation of such records is the United States
Statistical Abstract Of 1907. comparison
Of Elizabeth. y. j. with Portland. Me, both
having approximately the same population.
is interesting. both having the same genera
class Of population. These figures show:
Homicidcs Elizabeth. 1; Portland. 3. As
saults- Elizabeth. 29l; Portland. 9s Dis
turbng the peace Elizabeth. 537; Portland.
So like comparison covering all New
Jersey licensed cities of over 5000 popula-
81 oh Of No
land. shows one homicide IN the no-license
cities to three in the license cities; one ar
rest to 800 population in no-license cities
and one arrest 20 90 population in the license
cities. In short. the proportion Of this class
Of crimes is three to ono IN favor OF the
cities that have no license.
Referring to the comments OF N. c." rcls-
tive to the permission granted in the North
Carolina prohibition law to permit ship
ment of one quart OF whisky every two
weeks for personal use into the state, III.
G." either does not understand or misrepre-
scnts the intentions Of prohibtory Laws.
They are directed against the traffic, which
is a social problem, not against the use Of
liquor, which is personal problem. There
fore. in all prohibition states citizens are
permitted to import liquors under certain
restrictions for personal use. II requires no
argument to prove that very little liquor will
be drunk when a person. 20 get II. has TO go
to the county seat. register. obtain per
nit. then send outside OF the state to buy
his ono quart of booze. which will have TO
last him two weeks. Very few people take
this trouble, a. ! discovered while in the
South. and drunkenness was almost unknown
This is very different proposition from
having saloon on every prominent corner,
and even two three more in the block
between. The consumption of liquor is re-
duccd 10 almost nothing and the sale is
absolutely prohibited. In the State of Maine
there is no such restriction on the shipments
for personal use. but the experience of North
Carolina has been so satisfactory that pro-
hibition states all over tho South and West
are adopting like regulations.
SAMUEL WILSON.
Editor american Issue"
New York, April II, 1916.