The herald-advance. (Milbank, S.D.) 1890-1922, 1916-03-31
Prohibition and Business
Business Better Since Saloons
Were Closed

Business Better Since Saloons
Were Closed
Henry S. Volkmar, Of Seattle,
the former newspaper man OF
Milbank. sends US copy Of the
Seattle Post 1ntelligencer, with
an article Major by G. B.
Blethen, now editor Of the Seat
tie Times, who a lumber Of years
ago was editor of the Minneapo-
lis Tribune, telling Of his conver-
sion to prohibition since Washing
ton went dry. He says:
"My paper fought its damnedest "a
gainst prohibitions We fought it on
economic grounds alone. We believ-
ed that in a great seaport city with a
population Of upwards of 300, 600 pro.
hibition would he destructive: it would
bring on economic disaster. We be-
lieved that under our system Of licens-
ing saloons we had the liquor traffic
about as we'll controlled as it could be
and we wanted to let it alone. and so
we fought as hard as we could fight.
But. in spite Of all. we could do "a
gainst it, prohibit on carried and it
went into effect in Washington Janu-
AIRY |. We have had a month OF it
now.
tAnd how has it worked out?
I'VE already know that it is a great
benefit. morally and from an econom-
ic standpoint. Its moral hegafit has
been tremendous Seattle had 26O sa-
looms and we had an average Of $500
arrests a month for crimes and mis-
demeanors growing out OF liquor
drinking In January we had only
400 arrests, and sixty Of those were
made January | aud we're the results
Of hang-oyers from the Old year.
That in itself is enough to convince
any man with conscience that pro-
hibition is necessary There can be
no economy in anything that is inn
moral.
ssAnd on top Of that great moral re-
suit. we have these economic facts: In
the first three weeks of January the
savings deposits in the banks Of Seat
tie increased - per cent There was
not a grocery store in Seattle that did
not show an increase OF business In
Ian greater than ever known N any
month before in all the history or the
city. except in holiday time. In all
the large grocery stores tie increase
was immense. In addition to this. ev-
ery dry goods store IN Seattle except
cna ara that one have no figures
from. had wonderful increa Sc IN bus-
inc. $. Each store reported the largest
business ever done IN one month, eX-
eept in holiday time.
u wished to know in what class o1
Goods the sales increa sed so greatly,
and so | sent to all the grocery ano
drv goods stores to find that out. And
to me It'll pitifn thing. and II makes
me sorry that We did not have pfohlb.
ition long ago that the increase II
sales Id All the dry goods were n
wearing apparel tor women ara chlld'
zen and Ia grocery stores the increase
Nas made mp chiefly OF fruits and ian
.y groceries This proves that il i,
tho women and children who sutfe,
most from liquor business, and it l.
the women and children who benefi
greatest from prohibition. Money
that went formerly over the bar foi
whisky is now being spent for clothing
for the women and children, and II
better food for the household
"It is lust like this: When ror
close the saloons the money that for
1npfly WAS spent lilSiI I'tlaiho ~ YIN
family of the wage.earner. end his
wife and children buy shoes and cloth
ING and better food with it, Yes. iir
we have found in Seattle that 1t is bet
ter to buy shoes than booze. Ihs
families of wage-earners in Seattle
are going to have more food ant
clothes and everything else than the,
had before.
.'And is the prohibition law enforc
ed?' .absolnty. Prohibition doe
prohibit - And how about the empty
saloons and the landlords who owr
them?' Many of them have already
been made over and are occupied by
other businesses. / will venture the
prophecy that in one year from today
YOU won't be able to find place il
Seattle where there was saloon
They will all be occupied by othe
businesses And prohibition has no
lowred rents |. know Of one big dr..
goods store that has a lready had it
rent raised since prohibition went intt
effect "Oregon also went DIR.
January l. California is the only we
state left on the Pacific coast and i
will 60 dry January l. 1918. And
those three states will remain dry tt
the end of time.