El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1917-01-16
ARIZONA'S EXPERIENCE UPON
ACTUAL TEST OF PROHIBITION
~ II

row THAT New Mexico has a resolution pending in
NJ the senate providing constitutional amend
ent forbiddng the manufacture disposition of any
alcoholic liquor except that used for medicinal mechanical
scientific religious purposes it is well for the people of
the state well for the legislature TO consider the effects
of prohibition Arizona. safely be assumed that the
benefits of prohibition experienced in Arizona would also be
experienced in New Mexico, and that the difficulties
tered in enforcing the law in Arizona would be the same in
the Of New Mexico.
Both are next door Mexican border and have long
stretches of lonely spaces which facilitate smuggling liquor
Enforcement prohibition would undoubtedly
as difficult expensive in New Mexico Arizona
Prohibition in Arizona not meant the elimination Of
drinking OF of drunkenness Nor depopulaed the ais
intoxicated men are still arrested in Arizona and traffic
the conIaband is still fairly common despite the best efforts
peace officers and the courts to put end to It II is
costly and sometimes almost discouraging thing to maintain
prohibition in Arizona.
However it has decreased drunkenness decreased the num-
Der of jailed for ntoxlcaon greatly eSSened the
Of traceable liquor, bettered the credit many
family, and saIvaged many who drifting the
rocks.
Ii has also increased taxes extent because of the
derived from saloon licenses the
of money remains for meeting the states require
The peoples money goes to the butcher baker
candle stick maker instead of to the saloon keeper and
bread meat other necesaes have gone exchange for
that money instead of liquor This calls to mind the fact
that Phoenix bakers literally swamped with business the
first second week after prohibition went into effect Some
other their business the very first to show the
effect Of cutting of the liquor supply
There in Phoenix, Tucson, and Douglas who
leading clear eyed sober lives for the first time IN
years there hundreds of young boys standing the
saloon and may be subjected the liquor
temptation In the good middle aged elderly men
have been reclaimed for the benefit Of the state themselves
and their families and in the other good young being
Safeguarded against injxry.
New Mexico would what Arizona thinks Of pro
hibon that the state has had actual working
experience with it, it is only TO recall that IN the
last state election Arizona voted for absolute prohibition as
against the personal us which had threatened 10 destroy
the effectiveness of the prohibition law already in effect by
overwhelming majority
Now that the Webb-KenyOu act has been upheld, one OF
the strongest arguments against state prohibition loses Its
the argument, until well taken that state pro
hbon could and would not keep liquor out OF the state
The effectiveness of state prohibition will depend hencetorh
the zeal of officers and the public sentiment be-
hind prohibition law sustain it and to back up the
officers
The Herald Of the very great difficulties in the
way of complete of state prohibition anywhere
These have been gone often that it is unnecessary to
repeat all But four considerations It TO
The Herald have usually been given the attention they
merit by the of complete prohibition; the
necessity Of providing eeua substitute for the open
saloon place for cOngegate in their idle hours
is the probable increase in the of
dangerous stimulating and habit forming drugs after alcohol
put of reach another is the necessity Of good training
youth for both boys and girls form habits OF self
troll another the widely differing habits Of different races
and nationaties.