The American issue. [volume] (Westerville, Ohio) 1912-19??, 1930-03-01
FARMERS ARE FOR PROHIBITION
Continued from Page u

Such reductlon. Farmers nave not SUI
fered any loss because of prohibition On
the other hand they have gained so much
that their various organizations are vir-
tually unanimous in their support of pro-
hibition.
If the NetoS' editorial writer had spent
five minutes in looking up the facts, he
would have found the reason for what he
hastily concluded was an anomaly He
would have learned, for example, that for
the three years Immediately preceding
wartime prohibition, 1916, 1917 and 1918,
the total number of bushels of grain used
in distilling liquor was 97,083,336 The
total of corn and rye produced in those
three years was 8287,5 900. About one
per cent of grain, by these figures, was
put into distilled liquors. He would also
have found abundant evidence to corrob-
crate statements like the following made
by farmer the other day: Our farmers
in general have more autos, tractors, farm
equipment, home conveniences and
money by far than the average farmer in
any other large agricultural nation Dur
ing the period of prohibition in our coun-
try there has been an enormous increase
in the consumption of milk, dairy and
poultry products, which offer a larger and
more beneficial outlet for grain than
booze ever offered"
DR.. Thomas G. Atkinson, Washington
representative of the National Grange at
the capital, says:
THE first effect of prohibition was to
curtail and cut off a market for certain
farm products, certain fruits, corn, rye,
barley and rice, perhaps some other cere-
ais.
THE use of corn for distilling was never
large enough, in comparison with the ire
nlendouS size Of the American corn CROP
to be a material price factor. Coincident
with this curtailment of one market for
corn, although probably having no definite
connection with it, science developed new
uses for corn, in the increased manufac-
ture of glucose, corn oil, gluten feeds and
other by-products At the same time a
greatly increased demand for candy and
confections probably closely related as eff
feet and cause to prohibition, made a
large new market for certain of these corn
products. Figures seem to indicate that
this increased market for corn products
nearly if not fully equals the former mar
ket through the distilleries. .
1.-THE rye market curtailed by prohibi-
ton found immediate relief in increased
exports. The exports of rye for the past
three years have been 1900 per cent great
er than the average Of the same period
pre-War.
barley market Uy
bition found relief in increased uses of
barley for cattle and swine feeding and in
the demand for cereal beverages of nom
alcoholic character which followed profli-
bition."
With all due credit to the farmers for
their strong moral stand on prohibition,
they have not taken this position in the
face of any loss, as suggested by the Net0S.
The farmers have been SO greatly bene-
fitted by the diversion of millions of dol
lars annually from the saloonkeeper's tills
to their own and by the general increase
in consumption of farm products due to
increased prosperity under prohibition,
that they have backed prohibition with
increasing vigor each year since its enact
ment.
One of the chief reasons why the vote
in Congress for stricter enforcement of
prohibition has risen to the odds Of about
three to one, increasing with each success
sive session since the prohibition amend
ment went into effect, is because the eX-
perience of the farmers of the country as
a whole has been just opposite that ex
pressed by Mr.. BleWett. The noisy wet
minority in Congress comes from the big
cities Congressman who represent the
agricultural districts are dry almost to a
man. Of course, they wouldn't have re-
manned so if the farmers felt as Mr..
Blewett claims he feels about prohibition
LIQUOR noise may be fairly safe as news