The Alaska daily empire., 1916-10-24
PROHIBITION IN SEATTLE AND ALASKA

The Dry Forces" in Juueau in taeir advertising matter are quoting the Editor Of the Seattle Times n an effort to refute the contention ot The Empire that intOlerable condition Of lawessness would re- suit from any attempt to enforce prohibition in Alas ka until thic Territory cecures governmental machn- cry that would place criuepreventing powers behind the law. They quote excerpts from an article signed by C. B. Blethen which appeared In The Seattle Times Of October 16. Co justify their position. The excerpts contain those portions Of A,r Blethens letter in which he expresses tLe opinion that the general results Of the Washington law have improved old com ditions
 However. this same article from the pen of Mir. Bethen. considered as a whole. completely justifies the position of The Empire.
 To start with the State ot Washington has not prohibition. The in that Stete does not contem- plate prohibition t permits anybody to purchase i- QCor in limited quantities by taking out permits Co do that. NIr. BletheE contends taat the permit sys- tenn is not broad enough tsat is so restricted that it does not PERMIT OF THE IMPORTATION OF ENOUGH ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGES TO TAKE AWAY THE INCENTIVE TO BREAK THE LAW" Therefore The Times is urging the adoption of ina- tive measures that will permit the manufacture Of li suor in the State which contains exceed four per cent of alcohol and permit the s2le of such liquors at regulated liquor stores and their use in
 Mr Blethens article referred to contains the .oI- lowing in addition what appears in the Dry ai vertsing matter:
 "so far as The Times and its editor are
 concerned. they will always labor first to
 keep the saloon from returning. and second,
 in the general cause of temperance. But
 the word temperance is here used AND NOT
 CPROHIBTTIONJ.
 When the present liquor law was framed
 great care was taken to make the measure
 one expressing temperance rather than prohi-
 bition. Provisions were more or less care
 fully thought out under which reasonable
 quantities of liquor could be secured for
 home consumption.
 The framers of the law thought they
 were thus providing against the bulk of prob
 able bootegging ood general illicit handling of
 liquor. They thought they lad SO framed the
 law that such gigantic series of criminal
 rings would grow out of the natural desire of
 certain men to get the alcohol they crayed,
 has sprung into existence in Seattle.
 Their failure to accomplish this purpose
 is well exemplided here in this city The per
 init system was too constructing Go permit Of
 the importation of enough alcoholic beverag-
 es to take away the incentive Co break the
 The result was inevitable It fell to the
 city administration and it's police force to de
 termine whether the law should be enforced
 honestly or not The events of the past week
 speak for themselves
 q haven't the slightest idea that 1t will have chance at the polls The majority of the people of the State thoroughly sat isfied with our liquor law they wouldn't change any part of it for anything in the
 world. That doesn't change my right to my private opinion that '2F Initiative measure referred tol would prevent to a considerable degree the INCENTIVE that exists for cor
 rupt men Co form conSpiraces to break the
 law, that unsatisfied demand may be met"
 The Washington law permits every man or woman the age Of 21 years to purchase four gallons of whiskey and 54 gallons Of beer year Alr Blethen says this is not enough to take away the incentive to break the law therefore 'frightful condition" of crime exists, and The Times urges that the law be made liberal
 Now, # law such as that in the State of Wash 4b ,f alcoholic beverages month for every adult is not liberal enough to destroy the incentive to commit .rime to such extent that it has become public candal and is overtaxing the full strength of the ,ityi County and State machinery. what could we xpect in Alaska under total prohibition and practi ally no governmental machinery at all for it's en- orcement?
 There is one more important feature with the ituation in Alaska that does not apply at Seattle: he municipal authorities Of Alaska have no power Q levy taxes or otherwise provide for the revenues