New-York tribune., 1921-11-06
in America: AS Seen by Two British Investigators
Homes Turned
Into Saloons,
They Declare
Condition Breeds Conlemo,
for All Lew, They Think:
Booileggers Grow Rich.
Warn England to Beware


ship and more effective control o..
currently with the provision of fac;,,-
ties for obtaining these simple Aer
erages, the bitter aninaosity srousea =.
its more drastic efforts would NOT AZ.
been provoked, The soaker and -
drinker is q pestilence and "a ev :
any community. He muItipiiss in !; ,ov
environment, but in surround ~.
where decent men congregate ne we.l.
rot be tolerated and would sneas.,.
disappear. The provision of ror.
wholesome conditions and better 4,
fractions and the deveIopme..! q, .a,
cation are the only sure roads to .e,,.
perance and to the improvement Of Ia
dividuals, as we'll as communities e..
Inducements to excess would not the,
exist.
We have been furnished with : ,res.
mass Of information showing 4be j.,
provemcnt of the general cond;4,.s.
OF vast numbers of the people. of ,ae
heavy increase in personal savings -
an enormous development in the hus;.
ness Of food and clothing stores a..
tributable to prohibition. We cannot
afford to disregard these statements,
further, many business men asseY.
that their workmen are better time.
keepers, while greater efficiency is ss;s
to prevail. But we are not disposed
to accept all these assertions as Nm.
chailengeable, for we were also supaiied
with data from other similar souress
worthy of equal credence, rebutt;ne
these assertions. For every claim adj.
vanced by the prohibitionists it is DOG
sible to present conflicting views
Neither side appeared to be in che
position to produce much statistical in.
formation IN support of it's conten-
tions. We could procure no figures az
to increase or decrease in the matter
of efficiency, loss of time through sick.
ness, ETC., due to the consumption of
drink, or the operation of the dry
law. We had to be satisfied with
general statements only, from both
sides, on these important matters.
Attribute "Trade Boom"
To Cessation of War
But statistics are said to be capahls
of proving anything. We are not dis~
posed to attempt the impossible task
of reconciling the disputants; but we
are confident that much can be said sor
both. Nevertheless, we leave to them
the pleasure of settling their differ
ences between themselves and of prov
ing who is right and who is wrong
We think much of the alleged improvc-
ment is the result of the trade boom
which came to America, as to ourselves,
when the hostilities on the Continent
of Europe ceased.
things prevails, for that great country.
in common with England and almost
every other nation in the world. Is
suffering an unparalleled depression,
due to conditions quite unaffected by
prohibition, for it has nearly six mil
lion unemployed workpeople in its
staple industries. Whether the new
law will result in any permanent i'm
provement for the vast majority of our
cousins across the sea can be def
nitely ascertained only after period of
years. Our fellow eountrymen at home
will be well advised to watch eventss
for if at long last prohibition proves
the salvation of the American people,
their course will be perfectly clear
But this at least we will say: that if
ever it is sought to impose a similar
law on our statute books the electors
must see that it is not planted" upon
them in the dark, but that its accept
ance shall be only after full opportu-
nifty has been afforded for its adequate
consideration, and submitted for their
approval and consent, in constitu-
tionai manner.
Finally, as to iabor's attitude in the
home of its adoption. We would-in
parentheses-re remind readers OF the
conference of the British Psrliamen-
tary Labor Party at Brighton in June
last, when a resolution in favor Of
prohibition in this country was submit
ted for consideration. The responsible
men attending that conference were
fully conscious of the Importance Of
the motion; it was, however, defeated
by 100000 votes to 247, 900. At the
annual conference of the American
Federation of Labor, held at Denver,
COL, in June this year, the delegates
unanimously passed q series of reso-
lutions against the Volstesd enforce'
ment law, and called for its modifica
tion so IS to permit some of the manu-
facture and sale Of "a national bey-
crage OF wholesome beer: also drawing
attention to the "great dissatisfsctior
throughout our country among
all classes" against that enactment
(which has resulted in the wholesale
manufacture Of whisky and other
liquors and ccncoctions" causing "the
death of hundreds of our fellow citi-
zens and has impaired the sight OF
thousands Of others" 1t is only suf-
ficient to add the opening remarks of
the AntirSaleen League in one Of its
publications, that Tabor leaders know
the views of the workers as well as
the politicians, possibly better, for
unioniSed labor makes its wants known