The producers news. [volume] (Plentywood, Mont.) 1918-1937, 1926-12-31

shots ringing through the night
air, gun battles, curses, groans.
Nothing like it had ever existed in
this peaceful country and it struck
terror into the hearts of its inhabi-
tants.
That crime had increased under
prohibition was the assertion of
Justice Minister Oeyen. 1t was sup
ported by the significant fact tina;
after prohibition prisoners were ac-
corded the right to reduce their own
sentences by choosing one day on
bread and water for every nine days
they had to serve in order to empty
the iails and make room for new
prisoners.
PrOhibitiOnists' Claims
The prohibitiOnists not only deny
these assertions; they emphatically
assert the contrary. The claim that
prohibition has reduced crime in the
= face of postwar decentralization is
their biggest argument for prohibit
ton.
John Scharffenberg, who was head
Z of the prison department and is now
head of the Oslo Hospital and the
brains of the prohibition movement
} in Norway, charges that the minister
of justice included in his statement
: the prisoners merely held for trial
; and gives his own figures showing
decrease of persons actually serving
, prison sentences, as shown in the
: table
: The official figures of convictions
! are shown in the same table. And
: these figures show a general tenden-
!, cy upward, and not downward. They
also show, incidentally, the startling
/ fact that more persons are convicted
q of crime in good times than in bad
t times.
S The explanation. of the rival sets
}. of figures, is that many more crimes
under prohibition than before prohi-
+ bition, and these began to crowd the
r iails. AS a result, many were let off
: with fines who would have served be-
: fore, in order to keep the prisoners
5, moving" The actual result of pro-
d hibitiOn was an increase, and not a
# decrease, in crime.
It The difference was in the punish
a ment.
2. Prohibition undermined public
Is morality, bred disrespect for all law
l and endangered government authOri
n ty. 1t created a dangerous psychOlO
e. gy which made the police appear TIT
4 enemy instead of the protector Of tn
d. public
The public refused to aid the polio
re against prohibition violators and sid
or ed with the smugglers and the boot
to leggers, for nobody knew when h
might need the bootlegger himself.
Perceptions Blurred
r. Tho "Smedley Butler" of NOrwa
in was Professor Hannaas, of Berger
who reported to the police that lie
of uOOr had been served at an alumni
ng reunion which he had attended. H
at namo and biography have since bee
or eradicated from all the alumni puI
ID locations of his university.
he On the other hand, bOotleggers b,
set came popular heroes, romantic fig
)e- ures, modern Robin Hoods. The nan
of Einar Soerensen, from SandefjOr
en liking" Of the Norwegian smuggle
de and boOtleggers, was a name to col
of iure with in Norway, for he w;
i'd known as much for his daring as fl
in the good he did to the poor, al
therefore had a great hold on Il
IN popular imagination.
all To tote a "lommerlaerke," or h
- flask, became a sign of "grown-u
-ay ness" like long trousers.
cir The MISUNDERSTANDING - Il
ro- Young Peoples Associations;
ost become converted largely from spo
and social organizations to drinlkiI
md clubs.
in Arne FdOisland, brother Of the &c
est tor-in-chief of the Oslo AftenpOste
the one Of the biggest newspapers in t
md country, who had presented a pla
nd ground and sport field to one of the
the organizations, was compelled to wit
it draw his gift because the groun
aw- had become a notorious place
fell drinking orgies for the neighbour
youth.
Trainers in sport organizatio
the complained that it was impossiE
rith to train candidate for sport ever
not properly because it was impOssil
on to keep them away from alcoh
try What they had done gladly when +
lily on their honor they refused to do
to compulsion of law.
nee Drink invaded the "studentel
IL iommet," or student homes, and "
in present at most parties, private a
public.
,ort No Flapper Hip Flasks
'or- There is, however, this to be S;
Ort, about the youth of Norway. 7
lily Norwegian girls and women dri
ank little, if at all. The Norwegian fls
per who in her fur coat and Russi
ger boots looks every bit as smart a
ere Sporty" as any of her AmeriC
ere prototypes except for the paint
no does not yet sport a flask.
her Prohibition was directly resp'
had sible for the wrecking of ma
homes. 1t forced drink away fir
ton the public cafes and into the hOl
Ight The wives and mothers and tn
children were either exposed to
lar, brutality of bootleg-crazed husba
5 of and father, or were forced to DIR
'unt to keep him company"
by Disgust and Alarm"
ing, The welfare workers tell of nj
'ew- than one case where small child
lzed were rushed to the hospitals suff
ing from alcohol poisoning.
that More children were brought to
in welfare organizations to take care
heir them than before prohibition becal
ami the homes had been destroyed. W
fare officials were beseeched
/ Il IL = u.