The Connecticut labor news., 1922-03-03

The declaration is addressed to the American people. It reads:
 "The American Federation of La bor, as spokesman of the morgan ized as we'll as the organized toilers having in mind the interest and the welfare of our people, decided by unanimous vote i'll its convention held in Denver in June, 1921, that the Vol stead enforcement act must be modl- fled so as to permit the manufacture and sale of beer and light wines.
 Before this decision was reached the executive counci lof the A. F. of l.. had caused to be made an exhaus- , tive investigation of the effects of the Volstead act. It was shown by this investigation that there had been:
 q. A general disregard of the law among all classes of people, including those who made the law.
 "2 Creation of thousands of moon sinners among both country and city dwellers.
 8. The creation of an army of bootleggers.
 "A. An amazing increase in the traf- fc in poisons and deadly connections and drugs.
 "s. An increased rate of insanity, blindness and crime among the users of these connections and drugs.
 "6. Increase in unemployment due to loss of employment by workers in 45 industries directly or indirectly connected with the manufacture of liquors.
 v. Increase in taxes in city, state and national governments amounting to approximately $1,ooo,ooo,ooo per year.
 Having in mind these results of the extreme interpretatic n of the pro- hibition amendment contained in the Volstead act, as we'll as the enormous expense of the attempt to enforce that unenfoIceabIe legislation, 1t IS our conclusion that the act is an inn proper interpretation of the prohibit ton amendment, that 1t is a social and a moral failure, and that 1t is a dangerous breeder of discontent and of contempt for all law.
 Something of the economic effect of the Volstead law may be seen by considering the fact that in 1918, ac- cording to government statistics, $IIo,ooo,ooo worth of farm products were consumed by breweries, and that the transportation of these pro- ducts to the manufacturer and thence to the consumer necessitated the use Ot I32,OOO rd1IfOaQ cars. Tn aQQ1tlOT to this, breweries in operation in 1918 consumed 5o,ooo carloads of coal It must be obvious that the total econo- mic effect of the destruction of this industry is tremendous.
 "The American Federation of La bor always has been the advocate oi law and order and always has en- deavored to create conditions which would make possible the highest type of citizenship.
 "We do not protest against the Eighteenth Amendment to the Con stitution, which now is a part fthe fundamental law of the land. We do not protest against the principle established by the Eighteenth Amendment. It is our contention thai the Eighteenth Amendment, under 3 reasonable and proper legislative in. depreciation, would be beneficial to our country and would have the sup port of the great majority of ou1 people.
 "The Eighteenth Amendment, how ever, under the present drastic and unreasonable legislative interpreta ton has a destructive and deteriorat- ing effect and influence in every di rection.
 "We seek no violation of the Eigh. teenth Amendment, but on the con.
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