The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1919-07-05

GAINS IN MONEY AND MEN
RESULT OF PROHIBITION
Claims AS to What viii be the Result
II This Country Goes Without
intoxicating Liquors

Boston, July Claims beyond COM
putation, both in money and manhood,
are the results predicted to go hand
in hand with prohibition. which went
into effect in the United States Tues
day False economists still under the
spell of the liquor interests try TO
argue that there is a loss, but they
overlook the fact that not cent of
money is destroyed. but instead. there
will be simply q redistribution of the
flow of currency and the millions
more in labor and material previous
ly wasted Will be directed TO legiti
mate pursuits that viii contribute to
the welfare of mankind instead of be-
ing devoted to the destruction OF
health, prosperity and happiness. Re-
duced to passing of the saloons means
not a loss at all. but billions of dol
lars year more to divide up among
the legitimate businesses of the Unit
ed States, Instead of being wasted
on something that disappears TO leave
nothing but evidences of destruction
in its wake, this tremendous amount
OF money. figured in billions. It is
pointed out will be released and made
available for things more lasting and
worth while.
Every city and state that has really
tried prohibition invariably reports re
ward in the shape of more business in
stead of less, better business instead
of worse, better homes, better citi-
zens and greater happiness, all of
which is generally accepted as incon-
trovertible proof that the whole coun-
try will inevitably experience the
same advantages.
One of the claims made by the
liquor interests has been that closing
down the liquor business would throw
many men out of work. OF course,
the same argument might be used in
favor ofinterfering iwth2the personal
right Of the burglar and throwing
him out of work but apart from that
there is a splendid answer made re.
Gently in Boston paper which quotes
an expert who has made study OF
the labor situation, and he reports
that within six months there will be
labor shortage which may reach
100000 men. This is due, he says,
to the war losses, increase in the
standing army, emigration, new indus
tries, and other causes If business,
is better, and the forecast is that il
will be, even more men will be need
cd, ali of which is taken to mean that
there will be opportunity for every
man who quits the liquor business.
And 1t is interesting to recall that
the liquor men themselves say that
the bartenders, as rule, are not
drinking men, so they ought to be
well fitted for jobs that require sober
men.
In Boston last year, there were go
292 arrests, and 54,94S were for drunk
enness. Boston people also find food
for reflection in the fact that 81 per
cent of those whom Boston paid to
take care of were non-residents.
Undeniable refutation of the false
claim of loss of revenue is found in
statement made By Robert w. Kelso
secretary of the Massachusetts board
of charity, who says: "If we add the
several items chargeable to public ex-
penditure to alcoholic intemparanee,
we have total of ..6,235,8T5 ex-
pended yearly in Massachusetts,. The
fees paid to the state for licenses
amount to $3,435,321, so we find that
the people have to pay $2,7S2, 573 ex-
ira year for the drink habit
Even more astonishing figures are
furnished by Irving Fisher, professor
Of economics at Yale, who says that
the government, which is the people,
has to spend more than $4,000, 100000
year to get back less than quart
er of it in fees. He says 1t is a great
\.
roast pig, which is quite an expen-
siye roast, but hardly as much so as
the drink bill has been.
Leading prohibition advocates, as
we'll as some men in the liquor trade,
assert that now that the national law
has come stopping the making and
the sale OF intoxicating liquor, people
should do everything possible to give
1t fair trial under an honest enforce
ment Of the prohibitory measures to