Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1922-01-04
DRY LAWS ARE FOUND
TO Be WELL ENFORCED
Enormous Decrease in the Con.
sumption Of Liquor Reported
by M. &. Leader.
BY Associated Press to Every Evening.

BY Associated Press to Every Evening.
Chicago, Jan. 4.--Prohibition is cx-
cellently enforced In nine-tcnths OF
the area OF the country and In the re-
mainder Is sufficiently we'll enforced
to be a very great Improvement over
the license system.
This Ia the result OF an investigation
covering several months, through Of
hcial channels and direct inquiry as
announced yesterday by the DIR. Deets
Pickett, research secretary OF the
Board OF Prohibition Temperance and
Public Morals OF the Methodist Epis-
copal Church. The organization OF
the church was used as one OF the
agencies Of information. which was
obtained from 10000 heads OF churches
and with numerous leaders of the
io,ooo,oOo lay adherents. The state
ment includes no figures not person
ally verified, DR.. Pickett states
The investigation showed that
there has been an enormous de-
crease in the consumption OF liquor.
a decrease not less than eighty-nve
and possibly more than ninety per
cent" according to DIR. Pickett. This
has resulted In a very large decrease
In the number OF arrests for drunk
enness and in very considerable in
crease in tho purchasing power OF the
poor and OF the skilled and unskilled
laborers," says the report "In San
Francisco, prohibition decreased ar
rests for drunkenness I'm its first year
from 1884 to 1874. In Los Angeles.
, from 1880 to 2.5se. In Boston. Il
was from 52.6s2 to 16,4s7. In Bslti-
more, In the last wet October. there
were 1,165 arrests for drunkenness
, and in the first dry October, ll9. We
have similar reports from the heads OF
police OF Washington. st. Paul, Lin
coin. Galveston, st. Louis and other
cities
The fact of increa sed purcha sim
power Is attested by signed statements
OF the secretaries OF chambers OF com
merce, real estate dealers, furniture
and musical instrument dealers and
merchants OF many kinds.
There has also been large de.
crease in petty crimes. In Boston
prohibition brought about decreas sc
I'm the number OF cases OF assault from
2,la to 1914 In one year. In st
Louis, petit larceny declined from g.
l 167 to S,boS
There has also been a decrea -
In more serious crimes In many cities
! The wet propcga ,dists have spoken
much OF a crime wave in New York
j have II on the authority OF tho Com.
missioner OF Police OF the city OF New
York. that In 1915 there were 1l,61l
, burslaries. and in 1920 only $3.50. He
makes similar statements as to com.
p missions OF crimes OF serious natur,
: on other charges
. Even better results have been ob.
|, tained in rural and small town dis
!. tricts.
4 There has been a startling de
o crease in poverty and financial dis
v tress. The hospitals have been re
G lieved. In Philadelphia in six month,
= OF the last wet year, there were / is.
. cases OF alcoholism I'm general hos
e pitfalls and In the same months OF tn,
next year. 2T6. Similar reports hav.
( been received from other cities.
. 1T is frequently stated by alcoho
Z propagandists that there is In tn,
| United States enormous Illicit dis
o tillation. that nearly every family
= makes alcohol. Obviously, this &
simply an expression OF opinion. II
] America. only a few families of Ger
0 man extraction know how to max,
!, palatsble beer. Whisky. illicitly pro
: duced. is so nearly non-palatable tina
!, only habitual alcoholics can consum,
a It. Private distillation and brewing
d while ii worries the prohibition of
Y ficers by necessitating many arrests
e is an insignificant factor.
o Prohibition is relative success
Y now. and is on the road 10 complet
success