Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-03-05
DRYS OPEN DEFENSE OF LAW
WITH RECITAL OF ITS BENEFITS
Continued From FIRST Page,

modification"
Makes Prosperity Claim.
Crowther submitted a prepared
brief contending the country was more
prosperous as direct result of the pro-
hibition amendment.
i found" his statement said, "that
the net diversion of spending brought
about by prohibition-that is, money
Wnlcn now goes into good savings in
stead OF over saloon bars-amountS tc
between two and six billion dollars a
year, and that at the smallest estimate
the country has diverted around $751;
600 100000 since the amendment went
into effect.
This diversion is of double impor-
lance, Tor 1T has occurred in the lower
income group, where formerly the per-
centage expenditure for liquor was the
largest. Therefore, of the many factors
which have contributed to the prosper
ity OF this country during the past
decade prohibition, by its diverting OF
spending money, has been, perhaps, the
largest"
"I wish to state at the very begin
Ming" Crowther said, Gin order that
my position may be fully understood
that am not q member OF and have
no connection of any kind with any
organization, either In favor of or op-
posed to the eighteenth amendment
For many years have been writing
upon economic and business subjects
Because Of that background, was asked
last Summer by Mr.. Loring A. Schiller
the editor Of the Ladies Home Journal
to make a survey Of the economic ef-
fects Of prohibition.
Limits Of Articles Marrow.
'The limits Of my articles, and Of my
testimony, which is based upon them,
are very narrow. I am not concerned
with any moral phase of the question
and neither am I concerned with any
legal phase or with any Interpretation
of liberty other than economic.
II undertook the investigation solely
in an effort impartially to answer the
question: Is this country more prosper
Gus as a direct result of the eighteenth
amendment, or is 1t not, taking things
exactly as they are and not as they
might be?
1.-THE answer which arrived at is
positively in the Affirmative"
Asserting he had arrived at his con-
clusion largely by searching for an
answer to the question OF whether OF
not the working men Of the country
less for drink than they did before pro-
hibition, he said he sent kilograms to
129 people, mostly large employers OF
labor, representing a fair cross section
of industry and finance all over the
country.
It received replies from all but a
small percentage. Forty-two Of them
either did not answer or wired that they
did not care to express any opinion
In 81 instances had replies which
were more or less complete. They
showed a considerable divergence OF
opinion on the whole subject Of the
eighteenth amendment. but the i'm
portant point Is that only one corre-
Spondent said that men were spending
as much for liquor as they formerly did
In a large majority Of the answers II
was said that the men were spending
practically nothing for drink. Here are
several typical replies:
Steel Head Gives Views.
E. j. Burlington, president of the
Illinois Steel Corporation, wrote:
Evidences Of the economic value OF
prohibition are found in records OF
increased savings accounts and in the
higher planes of living conditions OF
working men In general. Improve
ment in the economic condition of en-
ployes families is evidenced by the
fewer traces of distress among employ
es reported from time to time.
Undoubtedly since prohibition became
effective, many working men brew al
coholic beverages. principally wines, IN
their homes. This practice. of course
results in some expense to those who IN
dulge in it. But certainly Such expense
Is less than former expenditures In
saloons by working men,
Merchants in Gary, Ind, where
our largest steel mills are located, re-
port that since prohibition working
men are purchasing q much better
grade of wearing apparel of all kinds
and that, as general rule, payments
are made at time of purchases, where
as formerly it was necessary in many
cases to extend credit -" ="
He then presented what he said was
a striking" account Of conditions in
West Virginia from Josiah Keely. pres
Coal Co.:
MY observation and experience COW
er only q population of some 5000 OF
5000 on Cabin Greek, but I am more
or less familiar with economic life In
the Kanawha Valley generally, which
would number a good many more thou
sand. live right among miners and
know personally scores of hard drink
ers that have almost quit drinking.
should say, even at the present price
not half as much money Is being spent
for liquor as before .. The pay day
'lay-of' when the saloons were here
was q rather serious interruption o!
business, both on account of the alb
after headaches. We still have con.
siderable absenteeiSm after pay day
but most Of 1t is 'flivvering,' hunting
and shopping, and they come back ir
fairly good condition. Oul
people are undoubtedly enjoying q
period Of greater spending-for auto
mobiles, radios, washing machines
electric refrigerators, monographs, etc
Formerly, the pay day earnings
were frequently spent In one night
away from the mines (there were nc
saloons on Cabin Creek, and family
restitution on that account was COM
mon. Money is still spent unwisely
but most Of the family participate ir
one way or other. In the old day.
some public drunkarda were hardly
known to have families, but now the
family car, with all piled in, visitI
distant friends, or just burns up ga,
and sees the sights as they 60 by. There
Is simply so much difference in favol
of prohibition that those of us who
like our liquor have to admit it,"
Spending More on Families.
1.-THE General Electric Co.." Crowthel
continued, sent out for me q question
naire to 10 Of their principal supervisor
Of labor, all of whom had a number o
years of experience in their positions
and although the answers diverged OF
many points, all the answers agreed tina
the men were spending much less TO
liquor. A supervisor in one of the larg
cities estimated that 100000 a wee
was now being taken home, that for
merly went into the saloons.
THE answers from everywhere in tn
country are the same-the workingmel
are spending little or nothing for drinl
and q frFaaf daal On THAR "a r,ailinn Or,