Daily Kennebec journal., 1917-02-07
Now and a Month Ago.

We near SO IuQCA SOiAAAASAAs
ing street conditions in Maine In the
last FIVE or six weeks, that we nave
been led to look into the cause OF II.
Newspapers from other cities have re-
ported tnat in the month OF January
the streets Of Maine cities and towns
were more quiet and orderly, more
wholesome for women and chiidreh'
and safer and more cheerful for all the
citizens, than in the memory OF this
generation. Tf.k, Of course, refers 10
the entire list Of our cities and larger
towns. We hav. experienced 1gio pro-
hibition of the liquor traf1ic In other
wears. In certain sections, and, perhaps
for q brief rcriod, throughout the
state. But we believe it is true that
never in the history Of this State has
there been such general acceptance OF
the majesty of the law, and the Of
fetal edict that the laws of the State
must be respected and obeyed.
OF course all Of us who have been
watching the situation. and who have
been willing to recognize the bad
phases as well as the good, know that
at the time the liquor dealers, the
blind pigs and boot-leggers were going
out of business, in December, large
supply of intoxicants was laid away In
various places for future consumption.
Much Of this, perhaps the most of 1t,
was in private stock, and some or II
has figured in police and court events
in the month of January. But the fig
ures for the month Of December, in
which the liquor traffic had greatly
shr,Inken. in anticipation Of the on
coming dry" regime, in the city OF
Augusta showed 80 arrests for drunk
cnness. For the same month in Water
Vile, the arrests for drunkenness num-
bered 16; and Herewith should be
noted the comment made by Water
Vile citizen yesterday that any num-
the streets Of Waterville daily in that
month. but so long as they made no
disturbance fey were not molested
by the police.
The arrests for like misdemeanors in
the month o, January in Augusta,
numbered 9, and in Waterville the num-
ber was seven. The same gentleman
remarked: "a man who is seen drunk
now in our streets would be looked up
on as something of a wonder. Condi-
tions in this city now as contrasted
with six weeks ago, can hardly be i'm
agined by one who has not been going
about the streets daily the last three
months"
These things go to prove all that we
have so long ccntended, namely, that
prohibitory laws CAN be enforced, and
that when they ARE enforced moral.
industrial and social conditions are in
estimably better.
Our inquiry at Gardiner brought the
following report which tells an inter-
Z
The records at the Gardiner Munic-
| ipal Court show an unusual condition
! of affairs. A comparison Of the months
of Dec. 1916 and Jan. 1917 show that in
! December there were 20 arrests made
and of these is were for drunkenness,
/ for arson and / for defrauding a
| clearinghouse keeper. In January,
| 1917. four arrests were made, / for
threatening to KILL 1 for larceny, / for
! streetwalking and l for defrauGing an
! innkeeper. Not a single arrest for
drunkenness appears in that month.
| THE month of november gave to-
tai Of IS arrests of which 16 were for
drunkenness. Thus far in February
there have been three arrests, all for
drunkenness, two being the proprietors
OF a boarding house. This has resulted
in the closing Of the house, at least
under the management Of the former
proprietors.
Conditions in Gardiner have i'm
proved wonderfully since the opening
Of the new year"