The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1917-11-15
66,0OJ ORuhkS IN
BOSTON PAST YtAk
Liquor Dealers Issue Statement Show
Ing an Increase OF 1900 Ar
rests for Drunkenness.
BOSTON HAS MODEL LAW
Condition So Bad That Officers OF
Liquor Dealers Association Issue
Warning to Dealers to Clean Up.

Boston, Mass, has long been point
ed to with pride by the liquor inter-
ests as city that has satisfactorily
solved the liquor problem by the reg
ulation method. They insist that Bos-
ton has the best regulated saloons in
the world. The Chicago city council
liquor commission. at considerable ex-
pense to the taxpayers OF Chicago.
paid Boston a visit for the express
purpose of inspecting these model sa-
looms With the intention of getting
Information that would help in the
regulation of Chicago poison shops.
In the light of these claims, set up
by the booze interests of the country
for Boston. the following statements
issued by the officers of two liquor
dealers associations OF the Hub city
are interesting:
The Boston Traveller of October %
and rs deals with the situation edi--
torially. We learn from these edi-
torials that Dooleys hotel a widely
known hostelry on Portland street.
has been compelled to close its doors
for three months because OF sales to
intoxicated persons and sales on Sun
day to those who were not guests.
This incident brought forth the
warning from the officers of the two
liquor dealers associations, who de-
clare that there has been IAN increase
of 1900 In the arrests for drunken
ness In Boston since the war began
and $4,000 arrests for drunkenness in
the past twelve months" and urges
every dealer to think well, act wise
ly and remember 1t is war time" The
warning closes as follows:
We have still got to face state and
national prohibition. A wilful dealer
in any district may be the cause Of
increased no-license votes in his dis
trict and also spreading the cause Of
prohibition throughout the state"
The Boston Traveller comments
upon this warning and expresses the
opinion that there are some rum sell
ers who are hopelessly beyond mis-
sionary work by the organized traff1c.
That is true. but to people living
this distance from Boston who have
been RECALLED with the virtues of Bos-
ton saloons, the warning and the fig
ures for drunkenness as given by the
liquor dealers themselves means more
than what the Boston Traveller sees
in the situation. These figures and
this warming mean that-Restoa- greg
shops are like any other open. IL
censed place for the sale of booze.
They are drunkard breeders and
crime producers. The figures and the
warning prave conclusively that regu-
lation is an absolute. failure.
An interesting sequel TO the first
editorial on the subject by the Bos
ton Traveller is In the form of let
ter of protest from liquor dealer.
He takes the traveller to task for
printing the excerpts from the warn
ing letter of the liquor dealers and
says that the Dooley hotel is simply
victim OF police captain who Is
harsh in his enforcement of the liquor
laws He thinks the hotel is unfor
tunate In being located in this dis
trict and says that were II in some
other district there would probably be
mo trouble at Gil.
This leads one to believe that the
regulated saloon in Boston, as In other
cities, succeeds If let alone by the
police. that is. ii is a success If the
authorities are willing to wink at law
violation--if the policemen wear
binders.
1t strikes us that this Boston ga
lloonkeeper who protested has done
nothing but make a stronger case
against the Boston model saloon,