The Union daily times. [volume] (Union, S.C.) 1918-current, 1922-01-03
Prohibition Enforced In
Nine-Tsnths of Country

Chicago, Jan. 3.-Prohibition is ex-
cenently enforced in nine-tenths of
the area of the country and in the
remainder is sufficiently well. enforced
to be very great improvement over
the license system.
This Is the result Of an investiga-
ton covering several months, through
official channels and direct inquiry rs
announced today by the DR.. Deets
Pickett, Research Secretary of the
Board Of Prohibition, Temperance,
and Public Morals of the Methodist
Episcopal 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 100000 lay adherents. The
statement includes no figures not per
sonally verified, Dr. Pickett states.
The investigation showed that
"there has been an enormous decrease
in the consumption of liquor, de
crease not less than IS and possibly
more than 80 per cent" according to
DR.. Pickett. "This has resulted in a
very large decrease in the number Of
arrests for drunkenness and in very
considerable increase in the purchas-
ing power of the poor and of the
skilled and unskilled laborers," says
the report. "In San Francisco, prohi
bition decreased arrests for drunken
ness in its first year from 1884 to
1914. In, Los Angeles, from 1880
to 1850. In Boston, it was from
52,682 to 16,487. In Baltimore, in the
last wet October, there were 1,165 ar
rests for drunkenness and in the first
dry October, 119. We have similar
reports from the heads of police of
Washington, st. Paul, Lincoln, Gal.
weston, st. Louis and other cities.
''The fact of increased purchasing
power is attested by signed state
ments of the secretaries Of chambers
of commerce, real estate dealers, fur
niture and musical instrument dealers
and merchants of many kinds.
"There has also been a large de-
crease in petty crimes, In Boston
prohibition brought about a decrease
in the number of cases of assault from
2,127 to 1878 in one year. In ST.
Louis, p.+it orcr,y deo!in ID fro.N
6,167 to 3,503.
"There has also been a decrease in
more serious crimes in many cities
The wet propagandists have spoke
much of crime wave in New York
I have it on the authority of the Com,
missioner of Police Of the city Of New
York, that in 1918 there were IL 81
burglaries and in 1920 only $3.50. HI
makes similar statements as to com
missions of crime of serious mature
on other charges
even better results have been Oh
tanned in rural and small town dis
tricts.
"There haA Abeen a startling de
tress: ID (UgStals 1 have been , re
lieved. In philadelphia, in six month
of the last wit year, there were 1,1S
cases of alcoh holism in general hosp
tails and in the same months of tn
next year, 276. Similar reports hav
been received from other cities.
at is frequently stated by alcoho
propagandists that there is in tn
United States enormous illicit distilla
ton, that nearly every family make
alcohol. Obviously, this is simply a
expression of opinion. In Americs
only few families of German extrac
tion know how to make palatabl
beer. Whiskey, illicitly produced,
so nearly non-palatable that only ha
bitual alcoholics can consume it. PR
vate distillation and brewing, while
worries the prohibition officers by ne
cessitating many arrests, is an insie
nifcant factor.
prohibition is a relative success
now, and is on the road to complet
success"