The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1917-12-18

,V,esA ieWer persons arrested IN the
hioition than In the preceding wet yea
Wonderful Record In Petersburg.
The figures for Petersburg are
especially interesting owing to the
list conditions which have pre-
vailed there recently. it's proximity
TO HopeweiI with its promiscuous
population where the state prior TO
prohibition expended thousands os
dollars in special Investigations and
prosecutions. Peter burg being the
nearest license city was the source
supply and hence had to suffer
the attendant Ills accompanying the
sale of liquor. The above table in
dicates a reduction of SIS per cent In
the number OF persons committed TO
jail in Petersburg since the saloons
ware abolished.
With the thousands of soldiers
stationed at Camp Lee what a vas;
problem would face h cities OF
Petersburg. Richmond and Hopeweu
were the sale of liquor licensed IN
these cities at this time. Xhat a re-
verse the above table would Indicate.
In these days OF efficiency and con-
servation, when each IN seeking to
do his part In the war against auto
cracy. who can estimate the vast
saving from an economic standpoint
rA ia tFF EbEckDtGfS HEuFS&
VIVA mar can say how many homes
have been made worthy of the name
because OF the removal Of the ks~
loon. Which Of the above cities
would welcome back the old BY<tem9
All Of the foregoing figures indicat-
ing reductions IN the states criminal
Institutions has had It's effect upou
the criminal expenses OF the, state In
spite OF the high cost of living. The
auditors report for the year ending
September 50. 1911. which includes
one wet month. that OF October. 1915.
shows q. decrease In the criminal ex-
penseS Of the state from s4s4 49,
as In 1915 TO s400. s5s.oT In 1917 or
"a saving Of $3.50 "a In favor OF the
dry period. or this saving t~4s.sasas.
or rs per cent. was saved In the sec
lions 81 the state where the sale OF
liquor vas heretofore licensed. The
saving in tho city Of Richmond alone
was sif 3-ti9 while the criminal ex-
per1se~ III the CITY ~ Petersburg were
more than cut I'm half. II being &i7-
sS2 81 ln }al6 ard "ss.Ts5-se IN 1877,
q saving 81 sS9i61T.
Nauv Thousands Fewer Need wcip.
The report NJ the charitable iusti-
buttons NJ tis state Indicate that
there were tT.46S fewer persons re
curing tho ala Of state institutions
md private henevoleuce than in the
corresponding wet period. While II
Is not contended that this reduction
fs attribute bic solely to prohibition.
4. NJ least indicates that the diTefu'
prophecies Of the number Of persons
who would be thrown otu Of employ
ment and becorle recipients OF char
gty by the adoption of statewide pro
aibition was grossly exsrweratedy
How CIT Has ,.ffsess@s s~s1agtgg
w. - ssasr sAs ss4s, 5loh ~ @areS @itfv
hands OF prohihit.on as the letters Of
many OF Virginia's most representa-
tivs bustne ss fnen aar eloquent tri'
butte TO it's beneficial results. Ths
figures Of the national and state
banks attest this fact for the assets
of the banks OF the state increased
s7o.T77 10000 and deposits s4T,S2o,'
10000.
one Of the chief arguments ad
v.nced against the adoption OF pro.
hihft!on law was the inability to en-
force the provisions OF such a law fr
those sections or the state where tbs
sentiment was against its sfoptior
and the cost 81 providing adequate
machinery to attempt such enforce
snent. The figures contained in TN
commissioners report do not indicate
any such wholesale disregard of thu
Jaw on the part Oh iuTtSS rs oPPVh
snts of the Law had 10 freely predict
id, The standard Of honor ard re
gard for an obligation are priced too
highly by vir3inisn's to perrnta o
sush an objection being raised In Thu
state as the following figures VII in
dictate. The total convictions for
violations Of the prohibition law In tn
citie. which were formerly wet wer'
rs as against 232 acouittaIs: tota
convictions in the cities which wer'
formerly dry were lis as against SS
the ratio of scquittsls TO conviction
being hou the sa mo in each In
n In the counties there wer'
ATa convictions "a against los &C
ouittals. The total for the state beinI
1920 convictions rs against 3To ac
ouittafs, There were @.ooa person
prosecuted for violations of the pro
hibition isw. the remaining case
being ones yet untried. In which noit
p~roseouies were entered, or in WIZ a
tine defendant Is a fugitive r
justice,
The report liz addressed to the gov
srnor. and. in part. is as follows:
II submit the annual report of IN
commissioner OF prohibition for tn
year ending October 81. 1917. But a
was elected by the general assembly
commissioned by your exceilency an
qualified by the Hon. w. r. Barksdals
nudge OF the circuit court OF Halifa
county az OF September 1.-TWO month
before the Mapp prohibition law be
came effective in other particulars
this report covers also the operation
of this department for the months c
September and October. 1916. Durtn
these two months / was engaged with
out other assistance except a stenos
rainier In renting and Quitting OF
aces ut No. FOL East Grace stree
Richmond, Va. "a very convenier
point for the public and in proxirnit
to the other governmental depart
ments in the Capitol building), a
fh1re were no vHCHnr rooms III IN
Capitol. in selecting my assistants. al
orneys other helpers and In plannin
and arranging my work.
once Is Unique.
The ONCE is absolutely new an
UNIQUE. The state of West virgini
charged one OF her constitutional OF
icers-the tax commtssioner-wit
the supervision law. but most of tn
prohibition states AVE left their law
without special supervision n niue
OF the adverse criticism OF the er
-fcrcement OF the laws in other state
which la been loud m long he
Aouhtlesa Justly arisen from thu fax