The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1921-01-17
BLAMED
FOR |DLENESS
Or. Wilbur f. Crafts Speaks on
Relation of BootIeggers to
Unemployment"

NEW YORK, Jan. l7.-Dr. Wilbur
F, Crafts, superintendent OF the In
ternational Reform Bureau, which
organization has been leading the
night for so-called blue Sundays,
spoke last night at the Labor Tenn
pie Forum, Fourteenth street and
Second avenue, on the Relation OF
Booze and Bootleggers to Unemploy-
ment."
WESTERN STATES CITED.
He said his chief interest at present
was in the enforcement OF prohibition.
which he believed could be prompted.
more than anything else by showing
the workingmen the evils OF drink.
THE facts from the White West
no longer the WIND West-are sufh-
cient to show every man from Mis-
souri, that prohibition benefits labor"
said DR.. Crafts. THE facts in New
York. in spite of the scandalously
poor enforcement, with practically no
help from State and local officials,
point In the same direction. For ex-
ample. the park bum has quit his
bench and gone to work.
when the world war took nearly
from labor and business almost any
body could get work regardless Of his
efficiency. But now again there are
workers to spare, and the employer Is
not going to dismiss an efficient,
sober workman that he may keep q
boozing patron Of booueggera
BOOZER HANDICAPPED.
mo device of labor unions can mako
private employers keep ten workmen
when they only need eight or make
them dismiss the two best workers
instead OF the two worst The work
man who wants to keep out Of the
hell Of unemployment had better keep
away from moonshiners and boot
leggera
There is another fact about booze
and employment that has become i'm
portant, through the increase of I'M
employment 1t has been often shown
that the manufacture OF whiskey and
beer gives employment to only one
fourth as many workmen per million
of capital. as the average Of useful
industries, and this Is true whether
the liquor makers are working
legally or illegally.
THE unemployment situation right
now would be eased IL the consider
able capital used to nullify prohibi-
ton were devoted to legitimate lines
Of business One effect would be to
increase the purchase of useful goods.
by those now in part responsible for
interpretation in that they buy
fewer useful articles because thew.
buy so much costly drink.
Here in New York City, when I
was a pastor, a bum was converted
in one Of the missions. He was soon
at work, and with cleared brain con-
ceived the adventure Of selling his
cast Off suit Of BOOKING rags among
the old clothes men in order to con-
trast his old master with the new.
He went to one shop and another, but
could get no better offer than cents.
That, he said, as ne told the story to
the mission, is what the devil and
drink bring you to-7-cent suits.
ANSWERS HIS HECKLERs.
1T makes great difference to
clothing makers, sellers and carriers
and everybody they trade with.
whether people wear 7-cent suits or
$45 suits. The moral. patriotic and
religious gains are vastly greater"
After DR.. Crafts finished his speech
several of the audience were permit
ted to ask him questions. The follow
ing are some Of the questions and an
swers:
DIR. Crafts, can you make people
good by Prohibition
I'VE have made people healthy by
law in removing cesspools from the
streets. You can't make a person
pious but you can make him behave
well toward his fellow men"
Now we have prohibition, next
will come the blue laws and when
are you reformers going to stop?"
I'VE do not advocate blue laws.
The people are being misled.
Now, DR.. Craft. at +his moment
I can take you a block away and
we can get drunk. The enforcement
of prohibition is farce and why
shouldn't the people have righ. to
vote on the question:"
"You are wrong. The legislatures
passed on the law AMI so did Con-
gress, and that settles it,"
Mr.. Speaker, i am from the
South and never took drink in my
life" said another heckler.
"Now why is it, DR.. Crafts, that
all you dry advocates from the
South come to New York for your
boozeT'
(No answer)
"Did the drinkers ever try to pass
a law to make another man drink
intoxicants? Walt whitman. Edgar
Allen Poe. and other great thinkers
were more or less heavy drinkers.
How about it?"
and 1t is we'll known that he was
ruined by drink" replied DR.. Crafts
in closing.