The Wolf Point herald. (Wolf Point, Mont.) 1913-1940, 1929-06-28

to be fair in this matter examine
the United States Census Bureau
Photostatic sheets on Mortality
YOU will find: Mortality of alcohol
ism per 100, 900 population average
for the license years of 19l2-l9lt
inclusive 5.06plus, average for the
war period 1917-1919 inclusive is
3.16plus, and the average for the
prohibition years of 1920-1926 is
275plus. 1t is true that there has
been an increase in deaths from
alcoholism during the past three
or four years as compared with
the first years of prohibition, but
during no year under prohibition
has the death rate from alcohol
ism been as high as it was during
the year with the smallest death
rate before the adoption of pro
hibition.
The statistics of the Metropolis
tan Life Insurance Co. which your
correspondent quotes fail to bear
out his contentious of an increase
in the death rate from alcoholism.
If we place the figures given by
him in their proper order so as to
prevent deception, we have alco-
holic death rate per 10000 popu-
lation 1926 81, 1927, 3.5 and 1928,
3.3, and if you had gone back and
| secured this company's figures for
the last license year before the
war. 1916, you would have found
the rate to be 81.
Your correspondent plays up the
arrests and seizures by the FEEDER
al government. This simply test
flies to the increased efficiency OF
the Federal Prohibition Bureau
and in relation to Montana, 1t
| shows that the Federal govern
ment is on the job upholding the
Constitution while the safe of
Montana nullifies the 18th Amend
ment.
On Feb. 20, 1929, DR.. James NJ.
Doran, Commissioner of Prohibit
ion said: "The duty of the local
government; 1t seems to me that
the essential distinction as to the
| function of the Federal and local
government is entirely lost sight
of in these public discussions re-
lating to enforcement conditions.
Assertions with respect to enforce
ment or non-enforcement of pro-
hibition range all the way from
ordinary muddy thinking to the
condition Grover Cleveland refer
red to as 'clotted ignorance. |
assert that the Federal Govern
ment, by and large, has substan-
TALLY fulfilled its obligation under
the concurrent clause of the 18th
Amendment in the administration
of the national prohibition act and
supplement statutes; that in its
proper sphere of action it has
brought about noteworthy accomp-
lishments. and further, that I'M
satisfactory conditions still re-
naming in some localities are due
almost without exception to the
abiect failure of local authority to
assum its proper obligation and
to enforce the criminal law. L
am impressed with the fact that
public discussion devolves almost
entirely on the effectiveness or in
effectiveness of the enforcement
law by the Federal government,
and the fact upon which these
discussions are based relate al
most entirely to local retail sales
situations that are distinctly and
unquestionally the province of the
state or local authority to handle"
On June Z, 1920, the Supreme
Court of the United States said:
THAT part of the prohibition
amendment to the Federal Con-
stitution which embodies the pro-
hibition (of intoxicating liquors
for beverage purposes), is opera
tive throughout the United States,
binds all legislative bodies, courts,