Evening journal., 1919-02-27
DRY STATES REPORT
IMPROVED FINANCES
Officers Tell N. y. Senator
People Are Saving
More Money
CRIMINAL CHARGES
ARE REDUCED


ALBANY, Feb. Ex-senator Frederick
NJ. Davenport, chairman Of the joni
Legislative Tax investigating Com
mittee. has received from many OF the
dry States Of the Union letters lrom au-
ditins officials showing how much bet
ter of these States are financially and
how much more money IFS people ar
saving under prohib tion thau they did
when liquor was sold.
The auditor Of public accounts Of
Virginia wrote that as a result OF the
loss OF the excise revenue admlnistra-
lion OF The tax laws has been more thor
cugh and efficient. and said.
Not only is this true bat the I'M
proved financial condition OF tie Stale
has permitted increased appropriations
snd the adoption Of prohibition has ma
ierially reduced The amount The State
expended annually 10 enforce the lava
against crime.
'The apprehension that places OF
business wherein liquor traffic was
conducted would remain idle has moi
been realized. On the cont ary, prao-
tically all Of those places are now util-
lied for the conduct OF substantial and
productive business enterpr ses.
81 cannot speak too highly IN rom
mendat.on Of lhe good done our peo-
pie by this law. II is saving on. young
men from the influence and contamina-
ton OF The public saloon and IL redeem
ing our other men from bad habits
which had grown upon them.
'Citzens who were destroying theiI
vitality and wasting their property by
Indulgence OF the drinking habit nave
become provident and are saooumulat-
ing property, and their physical cor
dtlon is completely changed for the
better. The substance which they were
earn ng and fritlering away has now
become savings in the banks or has
been put inlo investments. The tone
OF our citizenship has been elevated
and morally improved in every way
From the office Of the auditor OF
West Nirginia came -letter saying that
while The state lost about s60O,O0O in
exc Sc revenue "the effect OF the State
going dry IS that our criminal charges
have been reduced one-half and the
number OF convicts in the penitentiary
greatly reduced, as we'll as all asylums
for the insane, and / think the Stale IS
away ahead from a financial standpoint,
all things considered.
Conditions generally in the state are
so much imp owed there is no com
par.sOn at all TO make. In mining towns
where children had neither shoes nor
clothes nt to so 10 school with, they
are now we'll clothed and we'll fed, and
happiness. Joy and plenty have cUme
10 tls1isands OF homes that never knew
= -u-btfore."
The General Of the State
of Geotga wrote:
II beg 10 state that prohibition did
not have the effect OF Increasing our
State tax rate, nor was the assessed
value OF property lowered, but on the
contrary il increased. II have no hesi-
fancy in say yng that prohibition has /
been extremely beneficial in many ways |
in the saving TO wage earn
ers Our State during the period since
the adoption OF prob blton was never
more prosperous in any period OF its
history"
Everybody looks on the abolition OF
me saloon as a blessing TO the people
IN general" wrote the auditor Of the
Stale OF Washington. There has been
no material reduction IN the tax rates
in this Stale, but that is largely altr-
buted to the fact that our public funo-
ti0ns are continually increased.
We see the benefits in other dlrec- |
lions. The deposcs in our savings |
banks and in our savings and loan as
sociations have mater ally increased
the merchants inform us that there
are fewer accounts on their books and
that better classes OF merchandise are
being sold, particularly in the d.y
goods and clothing lines. The populs-
tion OF the penilentlary and reforma-
tory has been reduced almost 80 per
vent, and II the matie- was again sub
miited 10 the vote OF the people Of the
State prohib ton would carry by a
much larger majority than il formely
was adopted by. The wo.k Of the SUI
perior courts has also decreased con-
side-ably and also the work in ihs
police court OF our larger cities"
The Auditor OF South Dakota report
ed that prohibition caused the popula-
tion OF the psnitent airy to fan of about
20 per cent during the first year It
was in force.
Il believe It also had a very material
effect in the matter OF the financial
conditions Of the Siate,7 the auditor
vrole. and in the matter Of general
The laboring class, which
vas inclined TO spend its money over
he bar n the old dsSs. has entirely
-ot away from that and is now spend
ng these amounts legitlmately with a |
cry material difference in the amount
II hardship and poverty in this State
Il have also one remarkable illust.a-
ion Of the difference In conditions. In
my home town some seven o. eight
years ago they built a splendid jail,
one which was necessary at the time
and which, under the old conditions.
Was va, inhabited just about all the time. !
me hrst year under Statewide prohi-
S,son lhere was hardly a case OF ,
h.nhhennes- a.. in the town and the iail ,
''@S oe 'ealy become dead property under
~. 'issor davenport explained toas,
'.os ne oio not write for tbase ,ott.
asulnents in favor OF nrobit;.t.
nnistee y .nairinan OF the tax probe on
.iiseee sent to the diffeent ST. ON
nno out what effect prohibition 9es hes 70
me financial conditions. n naa on
BIRTHDAY SURPRISE
A very enjoyable surprise was IL,
Miss Marie p,dioxs ' biNtO