New Britain herald., 1922-01-03
PROHIBITION IS
WELL ENFORCED
Nine TenthS Of Country Improved
Results Noted

Chicago, Jan. 3,-Prohihition is ex-
ceilently enforced in nine tenths OF
the area of the country ana In the
remainder is sufficiently well enforced
TO be a very great Improvement over
the license system.
This is the result of an inyestiga-
tion covering several months, through
official channels and direct inquiry
az announced today by the DR.. Dccts
Pickett, research secretary OF the
board of prohibition. temperance and
public morals of the Methodist Eps-
copal church. The organization OF
the church was used us one OF the
agencies OF information, which was
obtained from 10000 heads of
churches and with numerous leaders
~ the 100000 lay adhercnts. The
statement includes no figures not per-
sonally verified, DIR. Pickett states.
The investigation showed that there
has been an enormous decrease in the
consumption OF liquor, Il decrease
not less than eighty-fivc and possibly
more than ninety per cent" accord
ing to DR.. Pickett. This has resulted
In very large decrease in the mum
Der of arrests for drunkenness and in
n very considerable increase in the
purchasing power of the poor and Of
the skilled and unskilled laborers,
says the report. In san Francisco,
prohibition decreased arrests for
drunkenness In its first year from
1884 to 1,S14. In Los Angeles,
from 1880 to 2,5S9. In Boston. it
was from 52,6S2 to 16,487. In Bal
timore, in the last wet October, there
were 1,165 arrests for drunkenness
and in the first dry October 119. We
have similar reports from the heads
of police of Washington, ST. Paul, Lin
coin, Galveston, st. Louis and other
cities.
1.-The fact of increased purchasing
power Is attested by signed statements
of the secretaries of chambers of
commerce, real estate dealers, furni-
ture and musical instrument dealers
and merchants of many kinds.
There has also been a decrease in
petty crimes. In Boston, prohibition
brought about a decrease in the num-
Der of cases of assault from 2,127 tc
1878 in one year. In ST. Louis, petit
larceny declined from 6,167 to 3.503.
There has also been a decrease in
more serious crimes in many cities.
The wet propagandists have spoken
much Of a crime wave in New York
/ have it on the authority of the com
missioner of police of the city Of New
York, that in 1918 there were ,611
burglaries, and in 1920 only $3.50,
He makes similar statements as to
icof Of rriv Of c6riC
ture on other charges.
Even better results have been OBJ
tanned in rural and small town dis
tricts.
There has been a startling de
crease In poverty and financial dis
tress. The hospitals have been re-
lieved. In Philadelphia, in six
months of the last wet year, there
were LISA cases of alcoholism in gen
eral hospitals and in the same months
OF the next year 276. Similar reports
have been received from other cities.
1T is frequently stated by alcohol
propagandists that there is in the
United States enormous Illicit distilla-
ton, that nearly every family makes
alcohol. Obviously this is simply an
expression of opinion. In America,
only few families of German eXtrac-
ton know how to make palatable
beer. Whiskey, ilictly produced, is
so nearly non-palatabe that only
habitual alcoholics can consume it.
Private distillation and brewing,
while 1t worries the prohibition off
GERS by necessitating many arrests, is
an insignificant factor.
"Prohibition is a relative success
now, and is on the road to complete
auccesS."