Indiana daily times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1914-1922, 1920-03-04
JERSEY .ASSAILS
u. S. DRY LAWS

! kNOntlnuSu FROM GaEc Onc-l
/ ton is not backsliding in enforcing the
/ resolution to be completely dry that II
! took when the Eighteenth amendment was
| ratified
Wet leaders, however, charge that pub
/ lie sentiment Is changing. For proof
/ they point TO developments Of the past
/ weeks some OF which are:
! Wet voters won 1875 towns in local op-
| ton elections in Vermont and thirty
| three in Massachusetts.
4 law legalizing the sale OF beer has
/ been passed in New Jersey, where the
| legal alcoholic content was raised to 35
! per cent.
Federal prohibition officials were en-
| Joined from interfering with manufac-
ture of % per GEN. beer in Wisconsin by
a Milwaukee federal judge.
Rhode Island asked the United States
supreme court to declare national pro
hibitlon void as an infringement Of state
sovereignty. and New Jersey is about to
join in the plea.
New York's assembly voted to investi-
gate the Anti-saloon league
New York democrats declared against
prohibition in their state convention.
Whisky is reported to be sold openly
in New York and other large cities.
Speculation continues throughout the
country in the sale of warehouse GER
tifcates for bonded "booze."
Referendums have been invoked in
thirteen states to disapprove the action
of legislatures In ratifying the national
prohibition amendment
Despite these events, it is as yet too
soon to presume that public sentiment
has crystalllzed toward prohibition, &C
cOrding to Commissioner Roper.
DRY REIGN PRAISED
IN LETTERS TO ROPER.
But many things are occurring" said
Roper, (which may be regarded as
symptoms of the attitude of the people
The internal revenue bureau has re-
ceived. unsolicited, scores Of letters and
reports from individuals indicating that
prohibition is working out satisfactorily
In their communities.
Business men in many localities state
that workmen are reporting for work
more promptly and are losing less time,
and that banks show large tncrea sc
in new accounts. This they attribute
to the effects of prohibition.
an some localities police officials are
credited with the statement that crime
has recently diminished, which they At
tribute to prohibition. Jails, they say,
now are becoming tenantless. In one
U
instance, the so-called sunrise court has
been practically discontinued because Of
4 LACK of cases. The commissioner of
publN safety In another large city re-
Gently requested a reduction in the po-
lice force because of the decreased num-
Der of arrests since prohibition became
effective.
VIOLATORs PAY FOR
ENFORCEMENT COST.
These seem to be some of the eco
nomic and social benefits Of prohibition
so far.
Much has been said of the expense of
enforcing prohibition. 1t has been pre-
dicted that the cost would be so enor-
nous as to constitute heavy burden
on the taxpayers of the country. So far
as the experience of the Internal reve-
nue. bureau thus far is concerned, this
prediction does not seem justified.
For instance, prohibition enforcement
in January cost S37, 900 in the district in
Guiding Virginia, North Carolina, South
Carolina, Tennessee and Kentucky, the
first district from which a detailed re-
port has been received. But In the same
month taxes, fines and penalties imposed
for violation of the prohibition laws in
this territory totaled more than 100000"
Judicial decisions unfavorable to pro-
hibition are not alarming nor do they
show any trend of public sentiment
against prohibition, according to Wayne
B. Wheeler, counsel of the Anti saloon
league.
WHEELER DENIES
CHANGE IN SENTIMENT.
when any law is passed against an
INTERCEPTED evil" said Wheeler, 1.-THE first
decisions are usually unfavorable be-