The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1919-06-04

bition has done for Roanoke. Ny an
swer is that II has done WONDERFUL
things. as | believe the following facts
will attest:
/, has diminished crime and criminal
expenses.
Prohibition went into effect Novem-
Der /. 1915. The total number or ar
rests for all causes in the city for l9lo
and 1916 were 1o.0so; for 1917 and 1918
they were s,720. or a decrease for the
first two years under prohibition OF
1870.
Arrests for drunkenness for 1919 ana
1916 were 1854; for 1917 and 1918 they
were 6l3; or a decrease for the first
two years under prohibition OF 1,74l.
Arrests for disorderiy conduct for
1918 and 1915 were 2.4s5; for 1917 and
1913 they were 1897; or a decrease for
the first two years under prohibition OF
i,24s.
The honored Judge of our corporation
court has authorized MI to say that
since statewide prohibition went into
effect. the criminal prosecutions in ms
court, not counting the cases Tor the
violation of the prohibition law, have
fallen off forty per cent.
The honored judge of our circuit
court has written as follows:
Uplifting Effect.
The uplifting effect of prohibition
and it's due enforcement in the city OF
Roanoke is perfectly apparent to any
unbiased and unprejudiced person, me
law is being enforced and ! have NOT
seen any one under the influence OK
LIQUOR since the prohibition law went
into effect. The business places for
merly occupied by bars and saloons are
now being rented for constructive pur-
poses: one of the most prominent sites
of a former saloon Is now used by the
j Salvation Army. B~ootiegging is made
! more prominent as the officers are moro
diligent. Speaking by analogy from
experience gained in the rest OF my
circuit composed of the counties OF
Roanoke, Montgomery and Floyd. all OF
" hich was made dry years ago under
+ former laws. but formerly pestered by
the saloons of Roanoke City. | should
say, that criminal charges had been
II eatfy- reduced. j IL safe e-sat- that
fines and forfeitures received for the
violation of prohibition. greatly exceed
the cost of enforcing that law. o
course during this generation at least,
there will always be violations of the
prohibition law. but it's firm and just
enforcement. as II is now being en-
forced in this section, will make it's VIC
lation less frequent as vehicles of boot
~leggers are contiscated. the hootleggers
punished and put under bond. and as
81 olfei pfI SohN "bo htt i'ith @'
courage them in the violation of Law
grow fewer in number.
Criminal Expenses.
Criminal have diminished a.
the following figures viii show: 1915
49, SO: 1916. $s.72353: 1917, $3,402.5s
1918. S5.137.63.
The increase for the year 1918, abov'
1917, is doubtless in a large measure
due to prosecutions for violations o
the prohibition law. and even then
these expenses are more than $4,000 les
than the last year under the saloon.
Bank deposits have increased fort,
per cent since statewide prohibition
went into effect. The president of on
OF the successful national banks o
Roanoke has written AS fellaWs: --
Bank Deposits.
I'm compliance with your request 10
: = statement Of the bank deposits O
this city as OF November II, 1915, an
May II, 1919. beg to advise So'
that the deposits as shown by the state
ments to the comptroller of the cur
rency "a OF these dates. were as fol
lows. November II. 1916. s11 sol .Sia
May IL, 1919. S16.sss.04A. These figure
disclose a gain of more than forty pc
cent between the dates above men
toned. l am of the opinion that sine
I prohibition went INTO effect in this stat
, that our citizens have been savin
Il ~ SA>
more than before that time. ! be
lieve that the most earnest cnor
8 should he put forward to continue tn
: office of prohibition commissioner an
make the administration of that offic
as effective as possible"
: The chambe of report
, the establishment in the city of nine
teen new enterprises and bushes
, houses, including a great silk mill,
: large -four mill, a wholesale drn
house of more than $50, 900, capital an
a national bank of $20o.0 900 capita
with deposits which hav grown t
, nearly half a million dollars in les
than one year.
Many New Homes.
: Hundreds of new residences hay
been erected within the city. and hun
dreds within the suburbs. and IA mum
; Der OF large business houses have bee
T constructed since the state went DIR,
One OF the successful and most reliabl
? real estate agents in the city has writ
= ten as follows:
Replying to your inquiry OF wha
effect prohibition has had on Roanoke
: | wish to say that it has largely in m
observation reduced crime n file
the houses to overlooking in this city
The store rooms formerly occupied b
saloons are now occupied by a 'hig
: class of business and the people VIII
~
living In better homes. As a real estat
agent | want to say that the deman
for good houses Is unprecedented l
this city. | have been advised by som
of the most ardent wet men in thi
city that II an election was called nov
that they would unhesitatingly vot
dry having seen the good effect of pro
hihition."
The much esteemed general agent a
Roanoke Of the Virginian Railway. on
OF the great collaborating roads OF tn
' country, running from Norfolk. Va. di
rect to the great coal fields of Yves
Virginia has written as follows:
"When the city of Roanoke had opel
saloons this company was forced to hir
a. special officer for the protection o
our passenger station and trains. an
!, VIC "a disturbances from drunken me
nearly every day. There WAS never
J Saturday evening when our train 70
the Last departed that we did not max
arrests at our passenger station. From
the very day that Roanoke went dry
up until this time, we have made onl
two arrests at that station for drink
ing. and we have been enabled to TAX
of the officer we kept there for tina
purpose.
Benehts to All.
An high and honored official of tn