The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1918-04-30
Climbs on the Water
wagon at Midnight.
State Voted Saloons Out in
November, 1915.
OVER 5000 SALOONS TO GO
2.33S,OOO Bushels of Grail
Used Yearly by Breweries.
Coal Used Also a Big Item
Give 1t to Schools Now.

Detroit, April 30.-Capacity bust
ness in retail houses dealing in pack
age goods, famine prices for wines
and WHISTLES in cafes and barrooms
and mo beer signs in many of
them marked tho last day of the legal
sale of liquor in Detroit and Michi-
gan today.
The constitutional amendment
making Michigan a prohibition state
becomes operative at midnight to-
night. By the terms of the amend
rlent the sale or manufacture OF
alcoholic beverages is restricted to
that required for medicinal. mechan-
ica1 and sacramental purposes.
1t is estimated that approximately
50 per cent of the saloons in Detroit
which after midnight becomes the
largest city in the United States dry
by the vote of its citizens went out
of business for good last Saturday
night.
Great Majority Vote.
When Michigan goes dry at mid
night today. a total of 1886 saloons
in the state must go out OF business
and sixty-two breweries are prohibit
ed from manufacturing beer or any
Intoxicating liquor. At the election
in November, 1916, the amendment
providing for bone dry" state PROM
nearly 10000.
Manufacturers and dealers of liquor
ir Michigan have had eighteen months
to dispose of their stock and wind up
| their business affairs. Michigan
breweries employed 1850 men, while
saloons had q total of 6,3s7 persons.
For several weeks, saloon men have
been taking up other trades but the
movement of labor from the breWeries
| has not been pronounced.
Some of the breweries will manu-
| facture soft" drinks and others, 1t is
understood, will turn out distilled
products not prohibited by law. A few
beer plants will be converted into ice
factories.
Much Grain Used.
According to claims made by the
IAnti-Saloon league organization In
Michigan. approximately 2,a3S,ooO
/ bushels of grain have been used in
the yearly output of Michigan brew
cries.
/ The internal revenue report for the
year ended June 13, 1917, showed that
2,338,521 barrels of beer were brewed
in Michigan that year. Each barrel
| contained thirty-One gallons and II
has been estimated that a bushel OF
grain is used to make a barrel of beer
The latest figures from the census
department concerning the liquor in
dustry in Michigan give the following
salaries paid, $55S,000; wages paid
$1,073,000; cost of materials. $2.421,
900; value of products. 1880. 900
value added by manufacturer, s7,419,
900.
Schools VS.. Breweries.
One of the Anti-Saloon league argu
ments against the liquor industry il
Michigan has been the amount of Goa
consumed. Last winter when Michi
gan industries were operated unde
stringent coal conservation rules
many schools turnout the state hat
to close.
1t has been claimed that Michigan
breweries used more than a quarter O
a million tons of coal during the las
year covered by the internal revenu
report. This estimate is partly base,
on a statement credited to E. D. Leach
assistant state fuel administrator o
Ohio, who was quoted as saying tina
reports indicated Ohio breweries con
sumed practically a pound of coal t,
brew pint of beer.
If it is correct Michigan brewer
would have consumed about $4,000
tons of coal to turn out 561,245,04
pints of beer in the year 1861