The Chattanooga news. [volume] (Chattanooga, Tenn.) 1891-1939, 1918-06-19
MORE EFFICIENT
WITHOUT LIQUOR
Says Bryan of Labor, Replying
to Colby, Who Protested
Prohibition Vigorously.
tAssociaked press.l

Washington, June 19.-Vigorous pro
| test against immediate absolute prohi
bition was made before the senate ag
| riculture committee today by Balm
bridge Colby, member of the shipping
| board, who declared IL beer were taker
from the workmen the output of Amer
/ lean shipyards would be reduced 25 pei
cent .-
| Mr.. Colby said he appeared at the re-
quest of Chairman Hurley as a repre-
sentative of the shipping board.
| OF the pending Jones prohibition
amendment to the emergency agricul
ture bill, Mr.. Colby said:
I'VE believe that the effect of this
bit of legislation would be to reduce
the efficiency of the workers in the
shipyards and reduce the output of ton
mage a substantial amount"
When seators championing prohibi =
tion attempted to cross examine him
Mr.. Colby declared h. was not present
to discuss the virtues of prohibition
but was merely expressing the views of
the men who are in touch with the
ship building situation.
mot TeetotaIers We Want"
Ship builders, he said, see no harm in
drinking beer and thin kit is essen
tial.
Mr.. Colby said that because Of the
urgent need for tonnage now in order
to carry men and cupplies to Europe,
the shipping board is trying to make
the work in the shipyards as attractive
as possible, and to increase the $4,000
men employed in the shipyards now to
100000.
There is a constant turn over in the
shipyards and a shifting of labor he
said, and the members of the board
fear anything that might tend to cause
unrest.
Let us put our energy in converg-
ing our energy on the front" Mr.. Colby
pleaded. Lets not attempt to reform
mems appetite. Let's fight now. It's
not teetotalers, but fighters, we want
now"
Bishop Cannon's Challenge.
Bishop James Cannon, Jr., of Vir-
ginia, challenged Mr.. Colby's statement
that prohibition would reduce the out
put of shipyards and cited as an ex-
ample of what codlu be done in a ship
building city where prohibition pre-
walls. the work being accomplished at
the Newport News shipyards. He said
Mr.. Colby's statement represents opin-
ion rather than facts"
man of the commission on temperance
of the social service of the Methodist
church, south. He returned
only recently from trip to France and
he quoted Gen. Pershing as saying that
men do not make good SOL
diers. He said the question of prohi-
bition was no longer one of fad but
Of government policy.
Bryan Replies to Colby.
William Jennings Bryan, also reply
ing to Mr.. Colby declared history
showed labor is more efficient without
liquor than with il. He quoted Pre-
mier Lloyd George as saying that Eng
land was fighting Germany. Austria
and drink, with drink as the greatest
enemy.
While favoriDg total prohibition. Mr..
Bryan said a reasonable time should
be given for putting it into effect. In
ine with that opinion, he said he
reduced by percentages until the nation J
has become dry He also expressed the !
opinion that the legislation should be |
separate instead of attached to an ap- |
measure and he recon- |
nended that prohibition leaders in |
congress agree upon the details of |
,ill.
Workers should be willing to make |
Iome sacrifices. Mr.. Bryan insisted. He |
pointed out that an examination /
showed that the railroad employees |
we're not signers of the petition against |
he bill presented by union officials.