Evening journal., 1918-10-12
"BONE DRY" TOWN
FOR The PRESENT
Continued from First Page.

Continued from First Page.
the city upon the ground OF the clty's
health being injured by It's remaining
open. For instance. he said that II the
officials though one particular dry
goods store or any place OF amusement
should be closed for the protection OF
the civic health, the board had power
TO close 1t.
Members Of the Board OF Health said
that they had hoped the wholesale
liquor dealers would use good judg-
ment when they were allowed to re-
main open. They had been given the
privilege, because whiskey was used
by some doctors as O remedial agent,
and they did not want TO cut Off the
supply altogether on this account. But
they had learned that the wholesale
dealers had abused the privilege. They
were allowing men to purchase unlim-
tied amounts Of liquor, and far from
preventing drunkenness in the city,
were bringing in truckloads Of liquor
from other places 10 make all the pro-
ut they could. Various persons told II
seeing truck after truck unloaded at
wholesale whiskey houses since the
closing order became effective. Be
cause Of this abuse. the board thought
action should be taken. Far from be-
ing a remedy, the excessive amounts
Of liquor taken by men were making
them an easy prey to the epidemic, the
officials said. In case OF pneumonia,
man whose constitution is undermined
by excessive drinking. is an easy VIC
tim, the officials declared. Many men,
nervous over the epidemic, or taking
II as an excuse, have taken an amount
OF liquor which Will have the opposite
effect 10 that given by the small
amount prescribed by a doctor, is the
opinion OF some Of the members OF the
! Board Of Health, and Of DR.. L. L.
Lumsden, the government doctor, who
is studying the epidemic conditions all
over the country, and who attended
the meeting Of the Board Of Health
Chief Of Police Black said that one
element Of trouble II liquor could be
purchased freely In the city on Satur-
day night, was in the crowds coming
from Chester, at which place, as
throughout Pennsylvania. liquor can
only be purchased upon a doctors pre-
scription. Men from Chester have been
coming here in numbers through the
week, he said, and Saturday night
would mean crowds OF them. This
would mean trouble both for Whining
ton and Chester civic authorities, he
said. The Board OF Health at first
thought Of putting the closing order
into effect at o'clock on Saturday
night, but upon consideration realized
that this would give men a chance to
stock up weekend supply, which was
just what the city wanted TO prevent.
City Solicitor Bayard thought It
would be well TO order the wholesale
dealers TO return the prescriptions TO
the Board Of Health, as a check upon
them, but DR.. r. +. EllegOod. president |
OF the board, remarked that it would be !
as the Law and Order So |
ciety could be depended upon to keep a !
close watch over the way the whole !
sale men lived up to the order The |
Law and Order Society would find Il |
the best Of material in the next dry-wet /
campaign, If they could bring proof |
that any wholesale or retail liquor man |
had broken the closing order and en-
danger the city's health in a time of |
sickness. The board |
passed the resolution without a dissent |
ing vote.
The streets downtown presented an |
appearance last night They |
were filled with men, who had nowhere |
to go, and could not even get a drink, |
and looked extremely forlorn. One col !
ored man was observed staring into the |
window Of a saloon and singing over |
and over in sort OF anthem, please |
open the door and bring us out drink" |
but the door remained shut
DR.. Lumsden had suggested that the |
drug stores sell a small amount OF |
liquor on a doctors prescription, and |
that the wholesale liquor houses be |
closed temporarily. The Board Of |
Health said that only a few druggists
had the necessary licenses. and that |
they would hardly wish 10 purchase an
expensive stock for a very brief time.