Honolulu star-bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1912-2010, 1917-09-06
By RILEY n. ALLEN


SEATTLE. Wash. Aug. 16.-Prohi-
bition in Washington has come TO
stay, and is winning larger support
every day.
In Seattle, which used to be one OF
the "wettest" cities in the United
States. the "bone-dry" law is enforced
with such approximate perfection that
booze is virtually an unknown guam
tity. 1t is hazardous to get it, haz'
ardous TO keep it, hazardous TO sell
il and hazardous to drink it.
Seven year ago, when left Sc
attic, there were some 325 saloons
here. Breweries we're fourishing.
The allied trades were hourishing.
| Also, crime was fourishing and dives
were flourishing.
But the city and the state are dry
now, and the people of Washington
frankly like it. Even those who Ia
ment that they can't get a glass OF
good old Rainier" or a highball or q
cocktail before dinner say that pro-
hibition has been a good thing for
the entire state, particularly good
thing for Seattle, and that if the is
sue were again put 10 vote of the
people, their ballot would probably
be for the dry" regime.
But there is no chance of another
vote from present indications. The
state wants to stay dry and there
isn't enough wet" sentiment to raise
the issue at election again.
And everybody admits, even the
saloonman now out Of his fat job
of the old days, that il the question
were once more before the people Of
the state, the drys would have a vic
tory far more overwhelming than IN
the last two elecuons-those which
sent the state successfully partly dry
and bone-dry.
In one day here l talked to the fol.
lowing people about prohibition and
how they liked it:
A barber, a street car conductor,
real estate man, the manager Of
one Of Seattle's leading mems fur
nishing stores, the golf expert in a
big sporting goods store, an attor-
ney, a big shipbuilding man whose
firm employs thousands, a railroad
man, several newspaper men and a
school teacher.
A Good Thing
Without exception, they agreed that
prohibition has been a tremendously
good thing for Washington and for
Seattle.
They looked at the results from diff
ferent angles. The barber said that
his business has never before been
so good, that men are taking more
pride in their appearance than before
Il mean that sort Of men who used
habitually to drink a little too much.
The street car conductor noticed
that there are more family parties
out riding in the late afternoon and
evening, and also spoke of the fact
that the efficiency of all employees had
increased under the dry regime. The
real estate man said that the money
which used to go by nickels and dimes
and quarters for booze is now going
down in small deposits ON lots for
home-sites.
What the store manager SAID ~ IN
fteresting because he was strenuously
opposed to prohibition:
Il voted against prohibition for the
state because l believed it would
hurt business and that it was unfair
to the men with money legitimately
invested in the liquor business. I
still think some aspects of the fight
against them was unfair and l still
would prefer to- see national instead
of state prohibition, but 1 am not sure
that would again vote against the
state law. There isn't the slightest
question that prohibition has been a
fine thing for business-and a fine
thing for the home. We feel the in
creased savings in the increase of
money spent by men for their clothes.
They are also buying more clothes
for their families.
Dull for a While
After the state went dry there was
short period when business seemed
dull. The sporting element was not
so conspicuous.
But pretty soon business began
to pick up. That was when the first
savings over the old booze bill be-
ban to tell.
Now that Seattle has a tremen-
dous payroll from the big shipbuilding
Industry, the effects of the dry law
are doubly apparent. Virtually all of
the money spent by these thousands
Of men is spent in the best channels
of trade. They are earning good
money and they are good speuders-
buy clothes of good material and
well made. Other merchants tell me
that they are having a fine year. 1t
isn't all due to prohibition, of course,
but large part of it is"
The golf man at the sporting goods
store pointed out that after office
hours now the business man hurries
off to a golf course instead of go