The American issue. [volume] (Westerville, Ohio) 1912-19??, 1918-08-30
SALOONS VIOLATE ORDER
Milk for Babies Went Stale With
out Ice
Saloons Gobbled Up the Domestic
Supplies

Kansas City, Mo-, places the homes
above the saloons, places children in
value above the saloonkeepers, and
administers its affairs when it comes
to a direct issue between these
sources in behalf of the homes and
the children. When the recent ice
shortage, which was disastrously
manifest in many sections of the
country, became a serious issue in
Kansas City, Mo-, James Kettner,
Jackson county's new Food Admin
istrator instructed Mayor Cowgirl to
close the saloons until the ice short
age was relieved, so that the homes
could be served. His order reads:
On account of the scarcity of
ice and the danger resulting thert-
from to the health and welfare of
this city, it is deemed advisable
that all saloons should be closed
and remained closed until further
orders from city authorities. The
acting chief of police is directed
to see that this order is carried
out at the request of the Food
Administration. 1t is ordered that
no ice be delivered to soda foun-
tains, ice cream parlors and SINH
lar institutions until the domestic
users are supplied.
The seriousness OF the ice situation
as reported from Kansas City was
such as to make it imperative that ice
used other than for the conservation
of foodstuffs should Immediately be
diverted to the use of food conserva-
ton. 1t was found that regardless of
the domestic stringency, saloons were
getting all the ice they needed 1t is
reported as a mystery where the sa-
looms were. getting their ice for the
last few days.
The saloons there ordinarily got 800
pounds of ice a day. There were 465
saloons under license. Some of Il e
larger saloons are said to have con-
sumed even larger amounts 1t is even
charged that through manipulations
OF the saloon business, ice supposedly
for domestic uses was diverted 70 sa-
loon channels. The saloonkeepers o;
Kansas City, free from any considera-
ton of the homes OF the community.
sought to utilize the ice to the ex-
tremity Of their needs. This action on
the part of the liquor people in Kan
sas City is in accord with that re-
ported from Columbus, Ohio, Chester.
Pa, and several other points where
the saloons are still permitted to exist.
The one bright spot in Kansas
City's recent distressing experience is
the fact that one saloon man refused
ice that he could have obtained and
let it be directed to domestic uses. He
is reported as having stated, 81 could
have obtained ice for my barrel stock,
but | realized there were many per-
SONS in Kansas City who needed ice
more than my saloon. | believe in
time OF stress that saloon men should
do everything possible to help unfor-
Inmates. have lost money by not
having ice, but | gained personal sat
isfaction. was doing right" This
saloon mans name is reported as Nc
Mahoni and Ills action is SO out of
harmony with the general saloon
practices that it indicates most thor
oughly that he is the type of man
who should not be engaged in such a
disreputable business.
Other saloonkeepers did not enter
tain such views. Many saloons used
tubs filled with cracked ice just to
cool beer stems In fact, they used
ice lavishly regardless of the known
distress among the homes Of the COM
munity. 1t is such conduct on the
part of those engaged in the liquor
traffic that demonstrates to a thor
ough completeness the undesirable
character of he saloon and liquor
traffic as an institution in our everyday
life. And it is such practices on the
part of the Kansas City saloonkeepers,
as we'll as the saloonkeepers all over
the country that has cemented the
fate of the liquor traffic in this coun-
try in the certainty of Prohibition
ratification.
Supplementary reports indicate that
despite the order issued by Food Ad-
ministrator Kettner, many saloons
have continued to get their supplies
and from sources which should have
been directed to supply the homes of
the city The police head is reported
not to have enforced thorough OBJ
servance of the no saloon ice order.
The attitude of the saloon interests
and the police failure are said to be
widely resented in all channels in Mis-
souri,.