The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1917-03-17


Just been made.
Save State 500, 600.
How crime has been decreased IL
little short of marvellous. During the
fiscal year ending September 80. 1916.
according to the annual report OF
Auditor Of Public Accounts c. Lee
Moore, the cost of prosecution or
felony and misdemeanor cases and OF
boarding prisoners In the jails OF the
state was S464.422.9k. The cost dur
ing the present fiscal year, though
one month of it--Octoher--was in the
wet regime and produced a Jail popu-
/. latiou two and half times as great
ss that of today. will be about 40 per
cent smaller IL was estimated at the
auditors office yesterday. AT the
present rate of decline the saving TO
The state. In the maintenance Of pris-
oners alone, will be about 100000. 1t
was said.
The Jail population Of Virginia
March i was 393. OF which $50 were
in the Jails of the cities and 1913 in
the county jails. or the prisoners.
445 were white and s4S negroes,
There are lee county jails and fifteen
city jails in the state.
Jail Population Decreases.
The Jail population In october,
1915. was a,194 In city tails, four
teen OF them then. the Hopewell city
iau having been made ready for oc-
cupancv IN December. 1915. there
were 2,140 prisoners and in tho
county jails ee4. OF the total number
Of prisoners in October. 1854 were
white and 1910 colored.
The first feur months Of prohibition
In Virginia brought the jail popula
tlcn Of the cities down from 2ti40 10
$50 freeing and restoring to useful
ness ESQ persons: in the counties the
reduction In four months was from
9s4 TO $50, freeing 4ei.
Because of the closing OF the sa-
loons IN Virginia. ~ white and S22
colored persons are now free neither
'anguiShing in Jail nor working on
the roads
Law RIgidly Enforced.
The law is being rigidly enforced
in virginia the police OF the. cities
and the officers OF the counties, to-
gether with the force Of agents of the
nNsce OF the commissioner OF prohi-
b!fion, and there are few Drawing the
heavy penalties provided by the pro-
hihitton law who are not apprehend-
ed The guilty are so severely punish
cd that there are comparatively few
daring enough to bootleg or run
blind tigers. Were the officers of the
aw less yigllant the number ot
prisoners. gwen in the February jail
population asures, would be appre-
Gladly smaller
In many Of the cities and counties
the Office OF sergeant or sheriff or
deputy in charge OF the institutions
as TALLER. was a most remunerative
one Already there are strong ind!
cations that these "pIums'' will go
begging at future elections. IL. IN
deed, the fails themselves are not.
- H.
converted to some other fuse. The
ialers receive fees from the state for
Keeping the prisoners. graduated on a
scale that decreased as the mum Der
ef prisoners increases.
In Jails of Larger Oittes.
In the city OF Richmond the jail
population has decreased from asa in
October to 10 In February. The de-
crease In Norfolk was from ASS 20
223: in Petersburg. from S18 TO ~;
Newport News from eos to los: Roa-
IS: Portsmouth, 99 to sc; DanVilie
lfs TO so
As Virginia has benefited in her first
four dry months, so have other drS
states, The argument presented IL
The actual existence OF prohibition
avs and their enforcement the re
rultant effect on business and all hu.
liquor interests. From the Northwest
where prohibition has come into be
ing as well as from tho South, comes
tho story of prohibitions BENEFITS
How prohibition works In Oregon f.
told IN thu following:
Dry Oregon Grows.
From Portland "Oresonian" Of
December 81, 1850
The recent investigation
ed into almost every avenue OF trade.
FOR the purpose OF learning Just how
business had been affected.
With the exception OF those lines
dependent directly or partly on the
saloon business for their business, not
single merchant reported that pro.
mhition had hurt him.
Contrary TO expectations the laun.
dry business has not suffered Laun-
dries did a heavy business In wash
ing bartenders' Jackets and apron,
and supplying towels. but they have
made that up by branching into the
domestic trade. and canvass Of theil
books shows an increase of about five
per cent
All lines of legitimate merchandise
nave improved. This seems TO b,
particularly true of tewelry stores
Men who formerly spent their money
for drinks now are buying jewelry
water front opposed prohibition Wig
orousiY in 1914, within a block Of
hts store were seven saloons. Wher
the state went dry he tried to sci
out. He couldn't, An ironical turr
eff fate placed jeweiry stores in two
IF the rooms vacated by saloons
Then he tried to close out. In the
process he found his business grow
ing. Now he Ia 'ioing twenty per cent
more business than year ago
Motion picture theaters. vaudeville
theaters and all public Amusement
houses are doing more business thar
svet
Shoe stores also report an I'm prove.
ment, particularly In that part OF tbs
West SIDE east OF Third street. Sho,
dealers agree that they are seilini
greater proportion OF children
shoes now than they did year ago
The assertion that children are bette,
shod is corroborated by the schoo
authorities
The big specially stores and bic
department stores are unanimous in
he assertion that prohibition he's not
hurt their business. All or them are
doing more business now than a year
ego.
\ prominent merchant tailor who