The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1917-01-06
DENVER BUSINESS
MEN ARE PLEASED
WITH PROHIBITION
Tourist Traffic Has Not Been
Killed by the Elimination
of Liquor.
REAL ESTATE STRONG;
FEW VACANT STORES
Colorado Is Dry for ALI Time
to Come, Declare Merchants
and Others; Families Have
More Money.

AoIe money.
Denver. Col, Jan. 5.-With pro-
hipition nine months old, why have
the Denver business men changed
square about in their views about
prohibition and the tourist traffic?
Because this year, the first under
prohibition. the tourist traffic has
been the biggest ever known in
Denver and Colorado, because more
money than ever has been circulated
IN the town. because commercial in
stitutons, hotels and business gen.
orally have fiourished to an unusual
degree and because all the old anti
dry prophecies OF calamity have been
disproved and cast aside.
The first day l was in Denver I at
tended luncheon of the Tourists
Bureau. where about 200 of the city's
business men. including delegations
from the Manufacturers Association.
Auto Dealers. Ad Club members. Retail
Merchants. hotel men and others
heard reports of the record breaking
| tourist season
The place in which these reports
were read added to their significance.
for 1t was the main dining hall of the
Albany hotel, which once resounded
with the clatter of a cabaret and the
gaiety usually incident to dining with
Wining or winning without dining, at
fractions once believed to be OF primo
| Importance in drawing profitable WIS.,
TORS to Denver.
Tourists Still Coming.
These reports showed that rail-
roads had brought 175, 900 tourists to
Colorado last summer. not counting
through passengers to the coast; that
from $4,000 to $4,000 more had
come by auto; that tourists had left
between $70.000.000 and $4,000, 900
behind them In the State: that all no.
tells in Denver and In the neighbour
ing resort region had been filled for
the first time In history: and that
everyone was happy over the results
Reports such as these, coming az a
reaction to the dark fears of a year
ago when 1t was predicted that the
tourist traffic would go to smash
| against the prohibition wall, explain
in part the shift of feeling among
business men.
OF course 1t Is realized by those
who think without prejudice that the
record breaking rush of tourists was
not due to Colorados going dry
Many causes contributed to It, in
NiuuiHB tilc GihDdlSO on foreign
travel due TO the war
| Still the fact remains-and no ar
gument is necessary to prove 1t to
Denver business men--that prohibit
ton has not killed the tourist trade.
as was confidently predicted. nor has
| 1t, apparently. IN any way interfered
Indeed, II Is argued that the clean
| ing of the city has tended TO bring
| persons here who might have hest
tated about venturing into a wide
! open town-these including school
! teachers. clergymen and small town
people.
Another ante-election prediction
that was potent in arraying Denver
business men against prohibition two
| years ago was that the closing of
nearly 500 saloons together with
breweries. beer distributing stations.
| wholesale houses and the like. would
create serious unemployment prob
lem, with consequent hard times.
Today labor Is reported scarce in
Denver. business men declaring that
anyone who wants work can get II.
The throwing of thousands out OF
work has been rapidly adjusted,
those affected going into other lines.
third prediction that scared men
OF affairs into voting wet concerned
the effect OF prohibition on real es-
tate values. 1t was asserted that
throwing 500 stores into the bust
ness property renting field would de-
moralize rent and values.
Real Estate Not Hurt.
Even this prediction has been dis
counted in the minds OF business
men other than those directly In
volved in tho handling of property.
Stores In desirable locations vacated
by saloons have been rented for other
business purposes. There are few
vacant properties observable on the
principal streets,
Business men testify that the home
business has been better than ever
before, many families apparently
have more money to spend. wider
range OF purchases is made. collec-
tons are better. savings accounts
are growing and 90 on and 80 on.
Just for instance. here is the testi-
money Of Leon NJ. Hattenbach. score
tary of the Retail Merchants Asso-
citation In Colorado, which includes
retail grocers in Denver and general
store merchants throughout the
State.
Prohibition has been wonderfully
successful from business point OF
view" said Hattenbach.
II believe that II the question
were put to vote right now from
20 to 80 OF our merchants who voted
wet two years ago would vote dry.
They have been converted.
1T has been good thing morally
as well as In business way. It has
helped clean up the town and give 1t
a better moral tone.
Small town merchants we're for
prohibition two years ago when the
vote was taken. Now Denver mer-
chants are with them. There Ia no
question but that people are buying
more and better groceries, as we'll as
other necessities and comforts.
Il am sure you will find the same
| condition in Ohio and the mercha nts
who are now afraid will be mighty
glad II the state goes dry Colorado
is dry to stay"
Inquiry Is Disintcrcsted.
In these articles aru reported the
findings of a dsinterested inquiry.
In articles to follow details OF the
findings will be given and direct
quotations will be made putting the
people of Ohio In close touch with
the thought, observation and ex-
periences OF the people of Colorado
in regard. to the prohibition issue.
In this generalization the state
ment that Colorado and Denver are
| Nnr