Honolulu star-bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1912-2010, 1917-09-06
PROHIBITION IN WASHINGTON
HAS FINALLY COME TO STAY
In Seattle "Bone Dry Law is Enforced so Vigorously That
Booze Now is Virtually Unheard Of-Not Enough "Wet'
Sentiment to Raise the Issue of Another Election

, ing the cocktail route" before din
ner. He said that with booze knocked
out, there is marked tendency for
Joy recreation and games. An attor-
ney told me that his experience is
that there are fewer family rows than
there used to be. The shipbuilding
man said that efficiency Of his work
men was much increased, liability to
/ accidents in the plants diminished,
and that the men are saving a large
part Of the big wages they receive.
The railroad man expects that travel
will show an increase, particularly IN
short trips around the state. The
newspaper men, many Of whom had
| been against the dry law agree that
1t is working we'll. The school teach
er, whose position is in country dis
trict, was one Of the most enthusi-
astic over the results Of the prohibit
ton plan. In this district the heads
Of several families habitually spent
far too much money for booze. That
is no longer the case.
That Seattle is really dry" is un-
questionable OF course there is some
drinking, some "bootlegging" and
some blindpiggfng." But the bootleg.
ger and the blindpigger are indulg.
ing in very precarious occupations.
The average man coming to the city
finds it absolutely impossible to get
booze. AS an illustration of how scarce
the hard stuff is, was told last
evening by well informed man that
Pebbleford whisky sells-when 1t can
be obtained-at $50 per quart. Natu'
are going to drink to excess or at all.
One acquaintance of mine told OF
a party" he heard of few nights
ago to which a dozen men had been
invited and all asked to serape up all
the liquor they could get. The sum
total of their efforts was quart of
whisky, one quart bottle of beer and
about a pint Of gin. And these chaps
are all men about town." who would
have ways of getting booze II there
were any certain ways to be found.
Occasionally some Joint" is ex-
posed and raided, and l have heard
of a mysterious dive where liquor
Is said to flow nightly at rates that
only millionaires could stand, but for
all practical purposes this city Is
really dry" In three weeks here l
have seen only three men under the
influence of liquor.
As the standing stocks of booze be-
come exhausted, the bootlegger and
the blindpigger will automatically go
out Of business and the "moonshiner'
who makes Illicit liquor will be very
scarce indeed. Washington means
bushes in this dry" regime. The
worst enemies of the law admit that
1t is pretty well enforced, and the
average man declares that it Is very
effectively enforced. ....-
In this state there Is no general
resentment against the law as piece
of sunni tuary legislation. 1t has won
general support. Seattle voted wet"
but we'll informed men tell me they
doubt If the city would go that way
again. The good results of prohibit
ton are too apparent.
Statistics might be cited by the
yard to show how prohibition has d.
minished some kinds Of crime and
misdemeanor, increased bank deposits
and also decreased drinking. Col G.
B. Blethen, editor of the Seattle
Times, had an article along such lines
in Golfers a few months ago which
will be remembered by Hawaii read.
ers. What he said then APPARENTLY
holdps true today, with an increased
force. ...*.. g.. .-
The best evidence that "prohibi-
ton prohibits" in Seattle is the abso-
lutte lack of booze. This coming gen.
Grafton will be brought up without
it. The best evidence that the law
is right and that the dry regime will
endure is what the people say-and
80 per cent say that prohibition has
been a godsend to the city and the
state. .."
The women are given credit for
large part of the victory, but not all.
And my observation is that If the is
sue were again to go before the peo-
pie, the men would vote overwhelm-
ingly against restoring King Booze to
the throne he long disgraced.