Evening star., 1926-04-10

liquor The referendum was sub
mitted to the people and oVerwhelm
ingly adopted. he explained.
In 1915, Mr.. Russell declared, Win
nipeg voted for prohibition by 10000
majority, and in 1928 it voted against
prohibition by a 5000 ma jority. And
the last vote included women. mothers
and sisters, 20 per cent of whom
voted against prohibition to save their
families. The act came into force. and
every one worth while in the prov
ince is satisfied. The only ones not
satisfied are the irreconcilable fanatics
on prohibition. In 1925 the convic-
tions for stills did not average one a
month. There is no output for the
product
Saloon Not Restored.
Has the saloon been restored"
asked Senator Harreld of Oklahoma.
No replied the witness. The
liquor is sold through government
commissioners: the first years profit
was $1,000 900. The young people have
come to their senses. The parents are
the most grateful people in the world
The class who We're being ruined by
the Z. Y. o. l.. parties tbring your
own iiquorl are back to normal. Crime
has decreased astonishinsly. Half of
the revenue from the liquor goes to
;he government and half to the
province. The municipalities now get
the profits that the bootlegger got
Senator Golf of West Virginia. who
has been absent for several DAYS from
the committee meeting, asked the wit
ness if the decrease in crime was not
attributable to the fact that what was
once illegal is now legal. Mr.. Russell
InSNpTpd m do
crease in crime had nothing to do with
prohibition cases. as we dispose of
them summarily."
Drinking Under Cover.
why did liquor produce this crime
before the present law asked Sena-
tor Golf.
Because the drinking was under
cover. it produced orgies. sent people
out crazy and wild. The blocks were
filled With parties every night
Senator Golf thought the crime
waves We're due to the war and not
prohibition. The witness said they
were not unreasonable in Canada and
took this into consideration, but after
seven years conditions should have
been better. When YOU did stop
prohibition conditions got better"
asked Senator Reed of Missouri
tDid you take into consideration
the European crime waves?" asked
Senator Gotf.
mo. we had enough to look after
In our own province. But. England
today is the most sober and law
abiding nation in the world. Fifty per
cent of her iails have been closed. and
they are considering using them for
tenement houses.
ASKS for Elaboration.
Senator Walsh wanted more elabora-
tion on the summary proceedings
with which prohibition cases were
dealt with. Mr.. Russell explained
there was no jury trial; that the first
oifenSe tor lOutiegging was a fine OF
S200 and costs, and Jail sentences for
other offenSCS. In answer to Il queS-
tiun Ey the Montana Senator the wit
ness declared his people did not think
the Anglo-SaNon rights of q. trial by
jury had been denied them.
Since the law. went into effect the
purchase of beer and wine had been
greatly increased as. opposed to hard
liquor. "All hard liquor is purchased
by 80 per cent of the American
visitors. There is a large tourist trade
and special trains are run from Wis.,
Consin and Minnesota every week end.
We haven't got rid of all the evils of
prohibition yet, as there are still Illicit
sales in blind pigs, or what YOU call
speakeasios. In two and one-half years
we have not been able to get rid of all
of them. But all the liquor they sell
is good and it is not the stuff it used
to be. That's the only remaining evil
Mr.. Russell said the western prov
inces of Saskatchewan and Alberta
had the same experience as Manitoba
regarding prohibition, and they now
have laws similar to the latter prov
ince, with the exception that beer and
wine Is sold in public. The Illicit traf-
hc In those provinces has decreased
over so percent in the present year