The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1920-02-13
ECONOMIC RESULTS
OF PROHIBITION

Phoenix, Ariz.s- Feb. 12.-MerchantS
here say that prohibition has had
Try beneficial effect upon the retail.
BUSINESS. Dank deposits since the es-
Enlistment of dry conditions have
jgcn fourfoid and one banker, refer
ing to his business, said that money.
Is the only chean thing there Is just
low. Among a class of Mexicans who
we're semi destitute before liquor was
abolished there are now indications of
prosperity, the majority Of them be-
ing we'll clothed and fed. Under n
state law, prohibition was inaugurated
nj this state In 1914 and for about six
,ssnnths afterMard- there was a large
amount of vacant room. but today. in
ainaoss any Arizona town, vaca mt
storerooms are. TO be had, That the
people are wei satisfied with the re-
suits Of the operation Of prohibition
is indicated in the fact that the pro-
hibition laws have been generally
strengthened by popular vote in the
last two elections.
Atlanta. Feb. 12.--The ascendancy
of prohibition ia the United States has
been accompanied b. a substantial
monetary saving the adrninistra-
ton of the office OF the city warden
of Atlanta due to a reduction in the
personnel of the office force made pos
sihle by decrease in business. Geor-
gia has had state prohibition since
1905. An investigation Of, the records
OF the city warden revealed the fact
that during 1915, 1915 and 1917 the
average number OF calls turned in at
the warden's office was 200 daily
Frequently the number of calls ran
las high as 500 daily. In 1919. when
the public demand to win the war
resulted in rigid enforcement of the
dry laws, both the state law and the
federal war prohibition law. this
average was reduced to thirty five or
forty daily. the greatest number OF
calls recorded on any day that year
being seventy six. During January of
the current year. the warden's office
was maintained by two women help
ers. with The assistance of one man.
Previously IL had required the services
of two men and three women helpers.
with the part-time services Of two
students. At the wardens office it
was stated that this saving in expense
TO the city taxpayers was unquestion-
ably due in very considerable degree
to the operation of prohibition.
Chicago. Feb. I2.--Prohihition Ia
having good effect on business, de-
clared the manager OF one OF Chi
Cages largest department stores in
discussing the question. Though this
merchant gould not give the actual
| figures to SHOW the results of prohi-
bition in a business way since the war
time prohibition act went into effect
in July. 1t was his conviction that the
money formerly expended for liquor
Is now going into the regular trade
channels. Those who formerly spent
their money for liquor and cannot do
so now will either take to saving 1t or
else spending 1t for other things, and
il must, he said, be help to business
The economic effect over the whole
country, he declared. undoubtedly
would be wonderful
Butte, Mon, Feb. l2.---Poiice, court
and sheriff activities in 1919 fell far
below those of tho preceding year, &C.
cording to reports from all over Mon
tana, and the first year of the state
under prohibition was held to be in
many respects the most satisfactory
1t has ever had. Important savings
are bound TO be the ultimate result
as we'll as general Increased efficiency
and hroductiveness OF the working
power ~ the state. There were about
seven times as many cases OF intoxi-
cation in Butte In 1918 as there were
in 1919. and many sessions of the po-
lice court had no cases OF this char
acter, situation that never occurred
when liquor was sold.