Evening star., 1921-10-20
REFUTES CHARGES
AGAINST DRY LAW
Correspondent Gives Figures
Showing Much More Drunk
enneSS in Last Wet Year.

To the Editor of The Star:
| AS faithful reader of The Star l
cannot help but notice the story in
the October IS issue, dated from Bal
timore and headlined "10s Per Cent
More Drunkenness Now-Crime and
DisorderIy Conduct Increasing in
Baltimore Under Dry Law" This
story is to the effect that prohibition
has failed to prohibit and is re-
sponsble for increased crime and
| drunkenness, etc. This is supported
by a table giving arrests on various
; charges for the years 1919, l9Zo ana
| 1921. There is no doubt that sucll
stories as these contribute Ereaa'y @ 10
the difficulties of the prohibition law
and breaking down of its support
among the people. OF course, IhI
star has no such intention. ana !
would like very much the privilege OF
making Il little criticism Of TINS
article.
S04 Arrests in September, 1918.
September of the years 1919, l92o
4 and 1921 were all prohibition months.
The war prohibition act went int"
effect July /, 1919. In September OF 1918,
the last wet year, there were SUI arrests
for drunkenness, which You viii no
tice compared with 12l Tor the first
=
and 259 for 1921. the third dry year
There were in September. 1918. l.3oS
arrests on the charge OF dIScrdtriE
"onduct, as compared with l,l59 III
september of this year: 80 arrests on
the charge Of disturbing In" refce. ~
compared with $50 il September Of
this year. and 40i arrests on TIL"
charge of assault as compared with
AGA in September of this year. | have
not the figures on arrests for bur
glaries.
Backs Claims with Figures.
II You will, therefore, allow me to
lamend the table in this story by in
icluding the last wet year as well as
the three dry years cited, the table
viii be more Informing:
tSerttnbcr Only,
1918 1919 1s2n ls5i
Rrmksr%es< ,"rs,sris nt; I SM ~ ~ ~; ~; - -
Disturbing the peace -. IS 80 $50
assaults. ..-....--. 4o' 80 sos 4G4
i'urglarl"S ......-.. II - 81
The 1919 figures were obtained per-
isonaily from Marshal Carter some
time ago.
There has Of course. been an in
icrease in the. population of Baltimore
since that last wet year and yet it
Will be noted that only the arrests
ION charges OF assault have Increased
and on the other charges there has
been Il great decrease.
Firmly Believes in Dry Law.
There is i'll Baltimore, as in some
iother cities, propaganda against the
prohibition law. which amounts to
nothing else than incitcment to it's
violation. Also. the law is not being
/ used as it should be used for the
suppression of the liquor traffic
baltimore has failed to reap the full
benefits of the dry law because of its
failure to enforce the law to the full
Time will solve all OF the problems
connected with the enforcement of
prohibition. Young people do not
learn TO drink on hair tonic home
, brew and mOOnshiuc. and those who
are drinking such concoctions now
VIII. in due time. pass away and leave
the world to a healthier generation.
Also. the determined purpose OF the
people to demand and secure exact
enforcement of the prohibition law
VIII exert pressure unrcmittingly
through the Years and the result Will
be that every enemy or half-hearted
/ friend of prohibition eventually will
he driven out of public office and the
Jaw viii be enforced as the people
want ii enforced.
DEETS PICKETT.
Research Secretary.