New-York tribune., 1920-02-17

mas lett New York with a large thirst,
lot of varied and mixed emotions and
a number Of conflicting opinions. The
enforced half Of l per cent diet initi-
ated January 16 is viewed by some as
blessing and by others as curse,
and both sides are willing to argue
their cases.
1he. prohibitonists have renewed
their leases Gnd want to remain in the
United States. till week before judg-
meht DAY, and the "wets" are applying
Ior tne privilege. of being sky-rocketed
to Mars. One side wants the country
to stay dry until St. Louis wins the
pennant and the other is trying to
decide whether it will be the Canadian
border, Havana, or Columbus 5000.
The opinion of the neutrals after a
month of prohibition appears to he
that the Eighteenth Amendment has
not been IL force for a sufficient length
OF time to determine just what it's In
f1uence will be. They say thew have
oeen too busy digging themselves out
OF glaciers and snowdrifts to specu-
late upon the results of four weeks of
prohibition.
Tho "wets' are sure the bad weather
IS part and parcel of the Eighteenth
Amendment, to which they attribute all
trouble, from the freezing of the fam
ny water main to the disturbances in
Ireland.
Weather Cripples Business
Tom Healy, we'll known proprietorsof
famous jazz palace, is sure the weather
we have been having was provided for
IN Article x, Section Of the Eighteenth
Amendment, and is also inclined to
believe the "dry" wave washed up a
!ot OF other troubles on the shores of
Manhattan.
What do think of the first month
OF prohlbition?" said Mr.. Hcaly in re-
why think it's rot-but wait let's
see, didn't some bird say the first hun
dred years are the hardest? If that's
50, why worry about the first month :?
My business? Oh. this prohibition
weather has rather put crimp in that.
SO | haven't had 1me to discover
whether people are going to stop iaz-
zlng and eating because they can't
dabble in the red vino and brew.
my restaurant trade has fallen off
bit, but it would have done that any
way in this kind of weather. The
streetcars have gone out Of business
and most of the taxcabs are in drv-
dock, and while many Of my patrons
don't mind dancing forty or fifty miles
OF an evening, they kick at having to
walk. don't think there is as much
money in circulation as there was be-
fore we had prohibition, particularly
in Wall Street, and this fact might be
expected to affect all lines of bus siness."
Froprletors of department stores say
their business is booming in spite Of
the weather, and attribute this to the
lact that the average pay envelope now
makes a nonstop trip between the
cashiers window and the home, while
IN the pre-"dry" days the route was
and involved many delays at
popular coaling stations.
James Churchill, proprietor of
restaurant and a student of
life in the white light belt, declares he
to dim the brilliance of Broadway. The
liquor receipts, he says, have been
obliterated, but people are eating more
now and the revenue from the restau-
rant is greater.
"My food sales nave increased great
ly since prohibition became law" Mr.
said, "and l figure that l am
doing just about the same amount of
business | did in 1915 and 1917, when
we were able to sell liquor. In 1918 we
did a record breaking business, and our
receipts now are just about 80 per cent
less than they were that year, which is
pretty near normal.
Managers Of theaters and proprietors
of movie houses are of the opinion that
prohibition has been a great boon to
them. The boys who used to take their
with little Scotch and
plain water on the side are now taking
their families to shows and getting a
lot OF fun out Of the five-reel thrillers.
they say
froprietors of Che dollar dinner
places where wine used to be thrown
ln' literally and Rguratively, declare
lhelr business has been all but ruined
by prohibition. These places. patron.
lied by foreigners to large extent