Askov American. [volume] (Askov, Pine County, Minn.) 1914-current, 1933-11-09
John D. Rockefeller, Jr.
Does A Fine Job
(By OSWALD GARRISON WILLARD
in The Nation)

John d. Rockefeller, Jr., has rem
dered public service of great value
in sponsoring the book called Toward
Liquor Control" by Raymond B. Fos-
dick and Albert L. Scott, just pub
lished by Harper and Brothers, and
in supplying the means which made
possible the elaborate inquiry upon
which the book is based. 1t is a
singular thing that in a nation of
122, 100000 people, with no fewer than
fifty separate governments, it should
have been left to Mr.. Rockefeller's
public spirit and generosity to bring
together the latest material concern
ing the various methods of dispensing
liquors, drawn not only from Amer
lean but also from European expert
ence. We have done away with prohi-
bition, or will have a few days after
this article appears, and never was a
country so utterly unprepared for the
next step. One would think that every
governmental authority would be pro-
foundry concerned with the situation
which will exist the day that prohibit
ton is repealed, but not even the
President has moved to deal with it..
l believe that a committee of bureau
heads has been appointed in Washing
ton, but certainly no important body
has been convened to discuss the
whole question and outline a policy
for the federal government. True, in
some states Connecticut, Delaware.
Michigan and Massachusetts, for ex-
ample-there are commissions at
work taking testimony and calling
witnesses, but only one of these COM
missions has as yet reported definitely.
The only thing that stands out clearly
is that none is cooperating with any
other. In brief, we are headed for
chaos.
Hence Mr.. Rockefeller's contribu-
tiOn to the subject is of enormous i'm
portance. At least it gives the basis
for discussion, for it is an authorita-
tive survey of all governmental meth
DDS of dealing with liquor. Nobody
should be allowed to discuss the prob
lem hereafter unless he has perused
this volume, which has wisely been
kept in brief compass and is in no
respect to be regarded as a tract.
Some of our universities, even in these
hard times, might have thought of
doing this job, and certainly there
are organizations of all kinds which
could have financed and sponsored
such an undertaking. But it was left
to Mr.. Rockefeller to keep us from
going into the new experiment with
out any ready-at-hand textbook of the
problem. To me it seems one of the
finest services that have been rem
dered to the United States by a pri-
vate individual in years, and l am the
more happy to pay this tribute to Mr.
ROckefeller's craftsmanship because
have at times had to criticise him
severely in connection with the labor
policies of some of his companies.
Think what the magnitude of the
liquor problem is. We not only have
the forty-eight separate States, the
Territories, the District of Columbia,
and the outlying possessions to con-
slider; we are face to face with the
fact that more than half the States
will be technically dry after the fed
eral Constitution is altered by the
abolition of the Eighteenth Amend
ment. Fourteen of our States will
have to amend their own constitu-
lions before they can be legally wet,
and that is not an easy process. Five
States only have changed their consti-
tutionS since January 1, 1882, while
five more have repealed their prohi-
bitiOn statutes, and eight others are
reported to be engaged in the latter
undertaking. In view of the unani-
nous character of the voting so far
l do not suppose that we shall see
any State deciding to retain prohi-
bition within its borders. But if
State like Kansas does try it, after
voting to abolish national prohibition,
it will have a much harder job to
maintain itself as a dry oasis than
it had prior to prohibition. The whole
temper of the people has changed as
a result of the prohibition expert
ment, and the wholesale cOnnivance
at illegal liquor selling, the whole
sale corruption of public officials, the
creation of great army of bootleg
gers eager to continue in business,
make it altogether unlikely that it
will be possible to keep liquor out of
any part of our American territory
hereafter.
Obviously, under these circum-
stances, it would be the part of wis