The New York herald., 1922-01-15
Continued from First Page.

taken over the properties once used
for the sale Of liquor In many cases
but to have acquired the business that
formerly went to the saloon and the
feature of New York life to find scores
Of men In coffee houses at 4 o'clock
In the afternoon.
Another noticeable result of prohibi-
ton In New York city is the COM
parative quiet late at night in the
principal streets and the absence Of
intoxicated persons. These latter are
met with occasionally. In the streets,
In the subways and elsewhere. They
were particularly noticeable in the re-
cent holiday season. testifying to the
fact that liquor is still easily obtain.
able. The good natured and somewhat
surprised tolerance with which they
are regarded by men and women in
dicates change from the old public
attitude toward the intoxicated.
The city IS so large and Its popu-
lation SO diverse that no calculation
Is possible either on the amount of
liquor consumed or the number Of
persons who drink II. Vast quantities
unquestionably are sent in from many
sources, but these quantities cannot
be computed nor compared in volume
to the legal imports In the days be-
fore prohibition. The only available
and at all trustworthy gauge of the
consumption is individual. It Is q
question whether the man who used
to drink freely. say as many as ten
or more drinks day. is now con-
sunning, on an average. perhaps three
drinks.
Banquets Sometimes Wet.
Banquets In New York. before pro-
hibition. began with, cocktails served
In the reception room. Sherry, cham
pagne and a liqueur followed In most
instances The resultant merriment
was feature of the occasion and
banquets were popular affairs.
Now. at most banquets in New YorI,
such drinking as Is done Is not at all
general. There frequently are "wet"
tables, where a bottle or two, or per-
haps three or four TASKS, furnish the
supply. The amount consumed, even
at the wettest Of these tables. is sell
dom great. When pocket TASKS are
used-and they have become the most
common of all containers In q certain
class-the apportioning is done with
the utmost care and deliberation. Both
here and elsewhere "Have another" ia
an obsolete phrase.
AT some of the larger banquets In
hotels and elsewhere the freedom with
which the, intoxicants may be OBJ
tanned In the city is again evidenced.
AT these affairs, and they are the din
ners to which prominent men most
frequently go. the word is quietly
passed to selected company that
there Is something doing" in such
and such room. In many instances
the thus honored guest loses all in
terest in the banquet itself and spends
the rest Of the evening in the private
room. There. frequently. is a display
of liquor which for quantity and
variety is reminiscent Of the days
before prohibition. At banquets where
such incidents occur the drinking Is
usually heavy. but is INDUCED In by a
small group only.
Parties Cost Money.
Small private parties ut which a
considerable quantity of liquor is con-
sumed are not rare in New York city
and champagne Is quite n common
beverage. But, with exceptions, the
amount consumed on such occasions
is not really excessive when it Is COM
pared with the amount used at similar
affairs before prohibition. In the same
way drinking in private houses is not
so great because the guests are keenly
alive to the fact that the supply Of
their host cannot be unlimited.
All that has been said, however, re-
garding banquets and parties con-
Germs but n small fraction of the
population Of New York. Drinking is
expensive; more expensive than ever.
Only those who have good incomes
can afford TO do much drinking in
company with others. especially II
they limit their consumption to known
brands which have not been tam
pered with-"the real stuff" The
average citizen OF New York with
small income has little chance to drink
more than small quantity at a time