The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1919-06-04
,America will, be Judged solely by its

situation In Newport NewA
Rev. DIR. f.. r. Wexford, pastor OF
First Presbyterian church. OF Newport
News, told OF what prohibition haf
done for the shipbuilding city and
Tidewater Virginia.
III prohibition has failed IN New
port News and Tidewater Virginia"
he said. there ia no criterion that 1t
will do The same elsewhere. Condi-
tons are and have been abnormal. IL
prohibition has been n success In the
Tidewater section. then it Will be a
success anywhere in the world.
Prohibition In Tidewater Virginia
has confirmed the hopes OF its advo-
Gates, IL has converted its antagonists,
II has conquered the poverty OF it's peo-
pie and 1t has constructed character"
he said. Prohibition has succeeded
in curhing the liquor traffic beyond the
sanguine expectations. Former
borrowers are now buyers"
He spoke Of the efficiency of the
shipyard workmen now as compared
with the years before Virginia went
dry" and pointed to the fact that be-
fore statewide Prohibition became ef-
~fective, the banks of Newport News
had on deposit s2,~376,S12.9a in saw
ings, as compared to s6.3s3,331.56 as
of January /, 1919, In addition to this.
flt NdfU, port news t1tlTGTS Suh-
scribed to more than $4,000. 900 in Lib
erty bonds, and the value OF other
tangible property has increased by
leaps and bounds.
The prohibition movement. he said
in conclusion, was born of God. is be-
ing watched oye by God. and the AL
mighty has ordained that it shall con-
que the world.
Colonel J. u. Johnston. a lawyer, OF
Roanoke. next read a paper on What
Prohibition Has Don for Roanoke"
It is printed in another part of this
paper.
]. Sidney Smith, a lawyer. of Nor
folk. was 10 have read a paper on
What Prohibition las Done for Nor
In his absence. the paper was
read by Rev. Mr.. Scott, of Richmond.
II is printed in another part of this
issue.
No Longer Experiment.
Rev, J. Sidney Peters was not sched-
uled for a talk yesterday afternoon.
but was called on by DR.. Hepburn to
say n few words.
He declared that the cheering ac-
counts TO which he had just listened
had warmed and g%laddened his heart.
These achievements" he said. G
cite not only our interest but our
pride"
ffe- hcttcves prohibition has hong
since passed the experimental stage.
IF there eve was a doubt of its ef-
ficacy, that doubt has been dispelled,"
he said.
There are. OF course, he said. diff
ferent conditions in different sections.
because there are different elements
with which TO contend.
WHY. right here in Richmond" he
said, you will hear some say that con
ditions are no better than they were
before we had statewide prohibition,
in fact. that they are worse. There
are those who picture them as dread
.ful-they viii tell you that the proht-
hition laws are not being enforced.
that there is more drunkenness and
thievery thar when the state was
wet"
The speaker said that during the
first year dry fegirfe. ON
'mitments TO the penitentiary decreased
3S5 and, during the second year. 424
that commitments to 1ails Throughout
the state the first year decreased s.,
900; that the number of arrests
throughout the state the first veal
were reduced by II, 900.
He said that the number that were
aided by state charitable and correc'
tional institutions during the first year
of tho dry regime showed a fallint
off of $4,000. while bank deposit!
throughout the state showed a health,
increase,
He pointed to. the fact that over
thousand deeds Of bargain and sal
were recorded in the city of Richmon'
during the month Of May, "whic'
forcihly indicates he said. "tha
money that used to go into drink nov
is going into homes The solution o
thu problem~af-B elshc yism he be
l~ieves. is homecoming by the workin'
! classes,
Labor is Divided.
DIR. Carter wanted to know the at
titude Of organized labor in Virgini
toward the liquor question. DIR, Peter
+e-itd him that it was about divided.
will evasion OF the %prohibitio
laws. and b~lockading decrease wit
national prohibition? the visito
wanted to know. Or. Peters told hir
that he believed 1t would.
Rev, Thomas Semmes, OF Sout
Richmond. followed DR.. Peters, II
told Of some OF the benefits OF state
wide prohibition which he had oh
served in this city, and PARTICULAR
on the South>ide. He told OF onv
sion of a prominent real estate dealer
u VI MIN ~ I'M Ill '
whom he had interviewed relative I
the efficacy Of statewide prohibitio
prior to Its becoming effective and sui
seaucnt thereto.
Worldwide prohibition. ne said.
bound TO come, He doesn't heliev
the concerted efforts OF the whiske
interests will succeed.
Mr. Hammond declared that yester
day afternoons conference was tn
most valuable he and his associate
from overseas have attended durin
their sotourn in this country. Rich
mond, Virginia." he said. has sur
piled us with mor n better evt
dence than we have been able TO OF
ain in any other part OF the Unite
States"
The speaker asserted that, with tn
exception of an riga published b
himself. there is not a single Austra'
ian publication - daily. g e !
monthly. quarterly. semi-annually. 9
annually-that will refuse whiske
advertisements. One daily paper, h
asserted. receives $500 a day from tn
whiskey interests for It's aid.
He further said that, Upon bein
sounded out by the prohibition force
OF Australia, the owners and editor
of the newspapers invariably declare
that their only opposition TO prohibl
tion was the whilom users of in