The Dawson news. (Dawson, Ga.) 1889-current, 1922-01-17
LESS LIQUOR DRUNK
IN TWO DRY" YEARS
REPORTS INDICATE THAT
ECONOMIC RESULTS HAVE
BEEN FOR THE BETTER.
GEORGIA is FOURTH "WETEST"
How the States Line Up in Enforce
ment Is Shown by Official Reports.
Some Interesting Facts Are Re-
vealed in Them.

Some Interesting Facts Are re
vealed in Them.
The United States of America has
now been officially "dry" for two
years, the eighteenth amendment hav-
ing gone into effect Jan. 10, 1920. For
two years national prohibition has
been law of the land, and resume
of figures gathered from various
sources reveals some interesting facts
in connection with the enforcement OF.
and the result of the so-called dry
laws.
1t should be remembered that OF the
48 states in the union 3 were dry be-
fore the passage of the eighteenth
amendment. Astonishing as it may APP
pear, some of these states that were
dry before national prohibition went
into effect now contain, admittedly,
some of the wettest spots in the ma
ton. The great moist belt is found
along the coasts and borders.
Smugglers Are Active.
All indications point to an active,
well organized, highly developed band
of smugglers operating throughout
the country, the rum-runners making
their headquarters along the Canadian
and Mexican borders and on both At
lantic and Pacific coasts. There is no
way of estimating the amount OF liq-
uor that passes the border daily or
that is smuggled ashore from foreign
ships standing off the coasts.
| In the vicinity of Detroit, Mich
along an 80-mile stretch of border, it
lis estimated that 1000 cases Of liquors
pass over the line each day. This IS
rushed to the inland cities by motor
trucks and, while many fleets OF mo-
tors CARRYING contraband booze are
captured by federal agents it is APP
parent that many more get through
the lines Of prohibition agents.
Delaware and Kansas have the rec
I ord. according to official reports, OF be-
| ing the "dryest" states in the union,
although no state, of course, can claim
to be absolutely bone dry" In the
order of their "wetness," with the wet
test states at the top OF the list, the
states are ranked as follows by the
prohibition agents in Washington:
New York, California, Ohio, North
Carolina, Georgia, Illinois, Massachu-
L L
! Kentucky, Mirnesota, Connecticut,
Virginia, Indiana, Pennsylvania Ar
kansas, Michigan, South Carolina,
Maryland, Alabama, Oklahoma, West
Virginia, Montana, Rhode Island,
Iowa, Colorado, Louisiana, Florida
Washington, New Jersey, Wisconsin,
Oregon, Utah, Mississippi, Wyoming,
Nebraska, New Hampshire, Maine
North Dakota, Vermont, South Dako-
tia, Nevada, Kansas and Delaware.
Present Liquor Consumption.
DRY" officials assert that there has
been a decrease of at least IS per cent
lin the use Of alcoholic liquors since
the eighteenth amendment went INTO
effect. This figure, however, is not
borne out by the statements from the
bureau of internal revenue. Under pro-
lhibition,. alcoholic spirits are being
withdrawn from bond at the rate OF
100000 gallons a month"; the official
reports show. The rate of Withdrawals
before prohibition was 100000
month.
Another bar to an accurate estimate
of the amount of liquor consumed IN
the United States last year is the num-
jber of home distilleries. However, a
conservative estimate by prohibition
agents places the total consumption OF
Liquor in the United States today at
80 per cent of the consumption prior
TO prohibition.
Dry Law Is Costly.
Prohibition costs the federal gov
eminent more than $350,000,000 year
in loss of taxes alone. There is, in adj
dition, the heavy cost of enforcement
and the cost of the additional burden
put on the courts through the activi-
ties of the enforcement officers.