The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1918-07-03
ST. LOUIS LEARNS
PROHIBITION PAYS
Business Men No Longer Willing 10
Have Their Home Known as
the Brewery City.
TEST OF EXPERIENCE
Opposition to the saloon Grows as
People Become Better Informed
About Influence of Liquor Trade.

St Louis business interests know
what Is good for a town. - Louis
real estate men understand what are
the Influences Of the legitimate inter-
ests in sustaining property values ana
the dangers which arise out OF un-
wholesome institutions coming into a
community. The brewery interests OF
that city are now disclaImed as a bust
ness advantage tor st. Louis and bust
ness men do not want travelling men
advertise Il as fact that 81. Louis il
going out from 81 Louis any longer TO
a brewery town This is the informa
ton given out by William A Giraldin,
vice president of the 81. Louis board
OF police commissioners. In recent
visit TO Kansas City Mr.. Giraldin is
also president OF the st Louis real
estate exchange and there fore has dt-
rect knowledge Of his facts both as a
city official and a business man. He
states that
st Louis In the last several years
has been realizing wildly that is Is
not good business to have its travelling
men so forth advertising our city as
a brewery town. The brewery and
liquor interests no longer are represen-
tative of St Louis commercial life,
anyway 81, Louis business is build
stion Consider our great drug houses.
shoe factories wholesale hardware and
dry goods industrfes-they are and
always have been the rock on which
our financial resources stand
The failure of the hold OF the brew
cry interests on 81. Louis Is not only
stated as fact by Mr. Giraldin. but
he gives as convincing testimony the
following Information.
since the first ~ the calendar
year more than 60o OF "A total OF q
400 saloons have closed in ST. Louis.
They have closed 10 stay closed That
isn't half of the story. Before August
/ this year 500 or 500 more saloons in
st Louis will close TO stay closed"
The development OF the opposition
90 the saloon policy In st. Louis is a
matter OF business experience. moral
influence and political evolution. until
the sentiment OF the people is now
largely against the liquor traffic. High
prices of liquor to consumers have
also been of aid in reducing the
saloons of the city Mr.. Giraidin is
interesting in his statement regard
ing this:
Furthermore. the sentiment OF our
people is 10 abolish the liquor traffic,
Our excise commissioner has a rul-
ing that once saloon gives up To-
cation and that barroom stands va
cant for three months II never again
can be used for saloon purposes. Just
imagine how that alone reduces the
number of saloons. The high prices
OF alcoholic drinks also have hit the
saloons. No man Is going TO con-
tinue in the saloon business IL he
isn't making money. and the average
saloonkeeper can't make money with
the present prices, The big hreweries
themselves realize that and no long
err are Offering leases for saloons. The
brewers, too. have found there Is
profit in manufacturing soft drink
beverages and st. Louis now has i'm
mense plants devoted exclusively to
the making of en-alcoholic bever-
ages
we real estate men have found in
variably that when saloon goes In
to any district the deterioration of
property ensues. Rental values fall
off Immediately. The saloon business
even leaving moral questions aside
lis poor business, No one knows that
better than the big business men of
St Louis. We all will he mighty glad
to have the country forget TO think of
St Louis as brewery town. 1t
isn't"
1t is further reported by Mr.. Giral
din that while the process of saloon
reduction is under way. the police of
the city are endeavoring to lend every
aid possible towards the protection OF
soldiers within the city. A zone sys-
tenn has been inaugurated around the
Union station from which women of
vicious character are barred by the
police. These zones are afforded extra
patroimen. whose duty II is to see that
women OF the underworld are kept
out.