The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1916-12-29

two years ago had the moral cour-
age to listen to my conscience and
was one of the few business men to
vote dry. have been astonished at
the change in sentimental the num-
Der OF converts. Men who were
against prohibition are now openly
for It. They were afraid as 1 was
myself
Prohibition has been a splendid
thing for Denver. We expected 1t
would take from two to three years
to readJust business affairs, rents,
the question of employment and like
matters, but instead 1t has taken only
a few months.
L think every saloon man now is
employed who wants to be employed,
and also every other man connected
with the liquor business.
labor Is Scarce.
Labor Is scarce here. OF course
some expert mixers and men skilled
in the technical side of the liquor
business have gone elsewhere, but
they were not many.
1t was expected that 1t would hit
us hard in the matter of business
property rentals. One man who had
$1,000 a year coming in from the
rental of property used for liquor
selling purposes expected to suffer
seriously, but he has not lost any
thing,
The stores used by the saloons
have been rented for other purposes.
Many OF the liquor men have gone
into legitimate trade in the places
they occupied before. All of the Ii
quor men here who have tried other
lines have won out
"You might tell the liquor people
In Ohio not to got scared but to go
into something legitimate with q
that they will succeed.
one saloon man won't into the shoe
business. He hung up q sign which
said. The smell Of booze replaced by
shoes: He wrote letters around to
his old patrons asking their support
IN his new venture, and he evidently
received It. for he IL doing worry we'll.
One wholesale dealer I know has
gone into the private banking bust
ness.
Men who formerly spent their
money in liquor are now spending it
In ways moro productive of good for
themselves and families. A great
many OF them are saving their money.
Our savings department, now two
years old. has gained $4,000. 900 in
saving deposits during the past year.
Other banks report similar gainA
Not Caei,ed In Saloons Now
we handle tho business Of a num-
Der OF large corporations employ
ing many men. It used to be that
30 per cent Of the pay checks were
cashed in saloons, and 1t stands to
reason that the saloonkeepers used
to get q good percentage OF the pay
OF the men over the bar.
Now the Endorsements on the pay
checks show that they are cashed by
grocers, butchers or shoe merchants
or perhaps they arc brought in direct
and put into savings accounts.
The merchants OF Denver have
found their business greatly increased
during the last year.
They ascribe It to the fact that
the closing Of the saloons has left a
lot Of families with more money to
spend for clothing. house furnishings
and tho like"
Der. 1915. totaled $77.s23,627 Last
they were s1o4, 56s,ss2, a
gain OF $26,632.22b. The savings de-
posts year ago were s26.331.s41.
now they are $32,s4s.2s7, an increase
OF s.314.42e
The testimony OF Denver business
men on the dry town subject might
be made into a serial II an tnvesti-
gator had the time and his pc per the
space. I will add TO those already
given only a few, touching building
and loan associations. real estate,
banks and department stores.
He's Been Converted.
The Denver Dry Goods Company
operates ono Of the largest depart
ment stores IN Denver and has one
OF the best trades In the city. w r.
Owen. manager. says that although
he himself IL not a drinking man he
voted against prohibition on business
grounds. Now he declares that prohi-
bition has worked well In Denver
President L II. Guldman, Golden
Eagle store. a large popular priced