The American issue. [volume] (Westerville, Ohio) 1912-19??, 1922-05-19

tnat IN lS1l III o<o MUTUAL savings
banks there was an increase of 1928
depositors and S3ss.336,000 in the
amount deposited.
The net increased wealth, computed
by subtractng the amount consumed
from the amount produced, was S.
000,000,000 last year, according to Pro-
fessor David Friday, president-elect of
the Michigan State College of Agri-
culture, and during the war an expert
in the treasury. In pre-war and pre-
Prohibition days the largest amount
of national savings or net increased
wealth was about $3,000,0O0,000.
Reports from Milwaukee, which had
more breweries per foot, and drank
more beer per stomach, than any
other city, are to the effect that they
saved more money per head than al
most any other state and city under
Prohibition. The Milwaukee Journal
of June 20, 1921, says in an editorial:
Deposits in the country's savings
banks increased per cent in 1920.
The greater part of this gain, as was
inevitable, was made during the first
half OF the year; but there was gain,
and Wisconsin ranked first, with an
increase of 20 per cent"
Industrial Conditions
Industrial conditions are admittedly
bad, but Prohibition is rot to blame
for that. What has happened to the
177,7o0 saloons which heretofore were
treating and drinking places for the
people? Also. what is being done
with the 1000 brewcries and $50 dis
tlleries? Not all of them are used
for industrial purposes, but the large
majority of them are used for con-
structive purposes of greater benefit
to the people than the total number of
liquor shops and distilleries in pre-
Prohibition days.
In spite of the difficulties in law en-
forcement in Chicago, the contrast be-
tween present conditions and those
that prevailed before Prohibition be-
came effective are marvellous. For
mer saloon sites by the hundreds,
which occupied principal corners and
choice business locations, have been
turned into candy shops, restaurants,
clothing establishments, cigar stands,
meat shops and numerous other kinds
of retail and wholesale merchandise
establishments. T h e Philadelphia
North American is authority for the
statement that in that city, soon after
Prohibition became operative, more
than twenty-six saloon properties
changed hands at a profit of over so
per cent on the estimated value under
the saloon regime.
A most remarkable economic trans
formation as a result of Prohibition
has been experienced by New York
City. A survey of Sixth avenue
showed that in 1913 there were fifty
eight saloons and twelve liquor stores
on that street. On August 5, 1921, it
was found that of the sixteen saloons
still in business, three had rented from
one-thrd to one-half of their property.
Forty of the former saloons and, six
former liquor stores have been reno
waited and turned into 142 stores. The
corner properties have
been substituted by 10S stores. The
Wallick Hotel in May. 1920, declined
to renew a lease it held at the corner
of Forty-third and Broadway, which
place had been occupied by the hotel
as a cafe, because of Prohibition.
Thereupon clothing company leased
the property for twenty years for
more than twice the annual rental
which the property had previously
commanded. Ridgewood is typical
German section of New York and had
the reputation of having more saloons
20 the average square than any other
portion of the city. The entire dis
trict has been transformed. A large
number OF small cooperative factories
have sprung up, which, to large de-
gree, occupy the same corners and
sites which were formerly occupied by
saloons.
There is an organized effort on the
part of the brewers and some repre-
sentatives of organized labor to over
turn the Prohibition policy and bring
back beer and wine. This means
back over 90 per cent OF the
traffic, and we do not believe that the
demand for it comes from the rank
and file OF labor itself Congressman
John G. Cooper, labor leader of long
standing, answered the statement of
Mr.. Gompers on this issue as follows:
1t is not the working people of
our country who are clamoring
for the return of the liquor traffic.
1t is a known fact that, during
the last six years, whenever the
question has been voted upon in