The American issue. [volume] (Westerville, Ohio) 1912-19??, 1920-07-30
Survey by Reporter Reveals Some of the Great Good Done
by Dry Law
BANKS BUSY, MERCHANTS PROSPEROUS,
LABOR COMMENTED AND HOMES HAPPY
All Prophecies of Dry Disaster Failed TO Come Tue as They Have
Everywhere Else
PERMANENT PROHIBITION DEPENDS ON SEPTEMBER IS PRIMARIES

When America went dry Streator
trembled. Streator was wet. Streator
is city of $4,000 located in LaSalle
county, Illinois. Streator is a rail-
road center, a mining and manufac-
turing town surrounded by rich farm
ing country. Foreigners make up 4
/ large proportion of its population
When America went dry Streator
had siXty-eight saloons. When the
saloons were closed on July |, 1919,
the usual prophecies of disaster were
male. A year went by In a series
Of articles by w. J. Lewis in the
Streator Daily Independent Times
the story OF what Prohibition meant
to Streator is clearly and compre-
hensively told. 1t is based on a
thorough survey of local conditions
and great many interviews of local
persons by Mr.. Lewis. His report
is the most complete review OF Pro-
hibition results by any Illinois news
paper that has come to the attention
OF the Issue.
What Streator Feared
Until complete survey of nation
al Prohibition results can be made
the best answer to the question, rs
Prohibition making good in Amer
ica?' is the report of results in in
dividual cities. We arc therefore
giving as many extracts as space will
permit from the above mentioned
articles telling how the dry law af
fected Streator.
a year ago they said nearly 70
buildings in Streator will be empty
Merchants will lose trade. The city
will go broke. Labor will slack in
its efforts when deprived OF personal
liberty. There would be a depres-
sion OF business.
What Really Happened
The following is quoted from the
independent Times:
"Streator's first concern, on realz-
ing that John was dead, was her fl
nancial status, for in return for the
half million or more which he swal-
lowed out of the Golfers, purses and
stockings OF local interests, John
generously gave back some odd thirty
thousand dollars in return. In other
words, the saloon paid out about $32,-
600 in taxes to the city OF Streator,
and, of course, that was cut off. The
city, like any human being shorn OF
its income or a big share of it, COM
, menced to figure out how it could
be met; and took steps to meet it.
Despite the arguments to the con-
trary, Streator is not in state of
bankruptcy, neither will mortgages
! have to be taken on the municipality
to pay the salaries of the aldermen.
Within a short time the city accord
ing to local city officials and former
officials, will be in an excellent fnan-
cial condition and the thirty-two
thousand dollars paid yearly by the
saloons will not be missed, be-
cause its place will have been taken
by moneys from other sources"
Savings Accounts Increase
"a local banker informed the repor-
ter that his institution is doing a
bigger savings business than it ever
did before. Bigger, not only in the
amount of money but in per cent of
the total clearings which his bank
handles. The savings are, to a great
extent, the banker stated, coming
from women and children and young
men. Note the mentioning of the
children. Children can't earn money;
at least not in Streator. 1t must be
given to them, and the father is the
giver-either the father or other male
members of the faily who have as
sumed, in many cases, new obliga-
ton during the past twelve months.
The fathers and brothers, then, have
it to give; therefore there must be a
surplus over the weekly or monthly
expenses of living A vastly different
story, the banker pointed out, when
compared with the tales and trails