Evening star., 1934-06-07
BIC INCREASE SEEN
IN DRUNK ARRESTS.
1884 Total in $50 Cities
Expected to Grow
25O,OOO.

The deClaraJlOn UHdG HlSI SIdtlS-
tical returns from leading American
cities Justify an expectation that ar
rests for drunkenness in $50 cities this
year will exceed by a quarter OF
million the number of such arrests
during the worst year of prohibition.
Is made by the Methodist Board OF
Temperance, Prohibition and Public
Morals in a statement today.
The report, covering As cities IN
rluding Washington, offers compare
tive figures on the average number
of monthly arrests for drunkenness
from the Inauguration OF prohioitlon
TO the present time.
Locally the statistics are as follows:
Average-1e2o. 2e7: 1926. 1.076:
first three months of 1888, l.3o2' nrst
three months of legalzed beer, l,52O;
first three months 1884, 1891: per-
centaee increase under sale OF peer
over first three months of 1888. 16 IA
per cent: percentage increase hrst
three months Of 1884 over first three
months OF 1893, 7O11 pCA NNN
High Increases Cited.
"In very few cities says the state
ment, is a decrease in such arrests
shown, either while beer alone was
being sold or under full repeal condl-
tions The percentages of increase
during three months in which sale OF
beer was permitted over the first three
months of 1898 range up TO 1887 per
cent in Spokane, Wash. while the
first three months of 1884 under re-
peal show percentage increases over
the first three months Of 1888 reach
ing as high as 1925 per cent. also In
Spokane. Other high increases in the
first three months of 1884 over the
first three months of 1888 are found
in Birmingham. Ala; Fort Wayne.
Ind; Grand Rapids, Mich; Oakland
Calf, and Los Angeles.
1T is estimated that the arrests for
drunkenness in the calendar year 1884
in the As cities studied will be in ex-
cess of 100000 more than for the
worst year of prohibition. These
cities are of varying ranks and repre-
sentative of all sections of the coun-
try
"A particularly alarming feature OF
the situation is the very large increase
in the number of arrests for driving
while drunk and the great increase in
the number OF motor accidents and
fatalities. This increase seems to be
uniform throughout the country.
The trend indicated by these re-
ports justifleS serious concern. 1t is
perfectly apparent that Federal and
State policies must be hastily revised
in many particulars. 1t seems that
most of the difficulty is traceable to
wrong psychology. Young people In
particular have in recent months been
caused to revise their attitude toward
Intoxicating liquors, to consider the
use of these dangerous drinks in mod
Grafton as justified. Eu-
ropean nations, where machinery Is
not in general use to anything like
the extent it is in the United States.
might tolerate certain forms of the
liquor traffic without disaster; but
our people must consider seriously
whether the general sale of lntoxi-
cants is socially tolerable in the
United States without greatly decreas-
ing the use of the automobile and
other mechanical devices.
"A development deserving attention
is the prevailing violence in industrial
disputes. We went through years Of
depression with astonishingly little
violent labor trouble. which, however,
becomes general Immediately upon the
return of legalized sale of liquor"
Percentage Decreases.
The following decreases are shown
under the comparison OF the first
three months of sale Of legallzed
beer with first three months of 1888:
Bridgeport, Conn 1918 per cent;
Cincinnati, 1l07: New York, 2; Pitts
burgh. lila: Rochester. 12.42; Sche-
nectedy, % 95: Utica. 385.
Decreases in first three months OF
repeal, as compared with first three
months of 1888. Cincinnati, 81 .48
per cent: Trenton. N. j.. POTS, and
Wilmington, 1858.
Certainly" the statement says. "if
only returned prohibition can check
the present tendencies, that return
should not long be delayed" 1t adds
that there is a strongly indicated
and immediate necessity of reinforc-
ing the general temperance appeal
by the active support of influential
men in public life. and of decreasing
the trade appeal Of the drink traffic. "