Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1917-02-19
LICENSE COURT
THE Dauphin County Cou,

about to begin its yearly wrestle
with the liquor license problem.
1t is not q nice duty nor a light one
Despite the unquestioned growth of
prohibition sentiment in the country
at large, the number of men desirous
of dispensing strong drink for profit
appears about as large as ever. New
ertheless, statistics prove that the use
of alcoholics is slowly but surely on
the wane. Figures are available to
show that in the three banner distil-
ling States-Kentucky, Pennsylvania
and Maryland-there is a marked de-
cline in the production of whisky.
Figures for the last five years in Penn
sylvania are as follows: 1912, TO-
579,126 gallons; 1913, 11,4S2,359
gallons; 1914, 11,153,227 gallons;
1915, 1,O7S,SOS gallons, and 1916,
91S,5S2 gallons. In Kentucky tie
production of whisky dropped from
43,622,09S gallons in 1912 to 1885, 200
gallons in 1915. I In Maryland it
dropped from 5,95O,S27 gallons in
1912 to 506,919 gallons in 1915.
Whisky has had stranglehold on
the Pennsylvania Legislature for many
years-regardless of party. Quite as
many Democrats as Republicans-in
proportion of the minority to the ma
jority-have been elected subject to
liquor influence, if not by the aid of
liquor-ring money. In Democratic
districts the liquor crowd is Demo-
cratic. In Republican strongholds it
throws it's efforts toward the election
of Republicans with wet" proclivi-
ties, An analysis of any local option
vote in the House will show this to
be true.
That Pennsylvania persistently has
chosen liquor Legislatures is largely
due to two reasons - the very large
foreign element in the mills and mines
of the Commonwealth and to the i'm
mense sums invested here in breweries
and distilleries, making possible the
raising of large funds for all man.
ner of anti-temperance purposes. AS
the production of the distilleries de-
clines this financial factor, by the very
nature of things, will become less a
consideration in elections and in legis-
laton.
1t has been said that the big cities
of the State would turn in large ''wet"
majorities if aepopular vote were taken
now in Pennsylvania on either State
wide prohibition or local option, hut
even in Philadelphia temperance SEN
timent appears to be gaining. Ac-
IN n ,aA Of hot
city, the list of applications for liquor
license, as entered to date for the COM
ing year, totals forty-six less than a |
year ago. In 1915 there was shrink
age on the full list for the year of
fifty-nine from the previous year. |
Back in 1915 the drop from 1914 was
ninety-one applications. In Philadel-
phia last year there were 1915 saloons
operating throughout the entire city, |
which was eight less saloons than two
years ago, despite the fact that the |
city is gradually growing in popula-
ton at q rate estimated at about |
5000 a year.
In Harrisburg some idea may he |
gained of the trend in the same direc- |
llon NY tHe ldcL tnaC IeW years ago /
the police spent every Saturday night |
payday at the mills-gathering in |
from fifteen to thirty "drunks," and
that now the Saturday night harvest |
is small by comparison, notwithstand-
ing the city is larger and the foreign |
and Southern labor element has been |
augmented greatly.
The time is approaching when eli
cense session. will be stricken from |
the local court calendars.