Evening star., 1935-02-24
226 Cities in M. E. Board
Survey-Increase More
Rapid Among Women.

A 5 per cent increase IN automobile
accidents and an almost 10 per cent
boost in motor fatalities in 1884 over
1888.
Picture Here Typical.
OF Washington. the report said:
"A typical picture is presented by
the changing scene i'll Washington,
D. C. In the Nations Capital we
have an increase of $3.50 per cent in
arrests for intoxication in 1884 over
1898, while the percentage of increase
from 1920 to 1884 is 574.70 per cent.
The arrests of women on the charge
Of intoxication for the first six months
of 1884, as compared with the first
six months Of 1888, show an increase
of 1928 per cent. Drunken driving
increased 1874 per cent. Motor acci-
dents, apparently due to very vigor-
Gus safety campaign, showed an actual
decrease of 5.39 per cent, but motor
accident fatalities showed an increase
of no less than 68.75 per cent. There
seems to be almost a uniform indica-
ton that motor accidents are very
much more serious in character when
they occur"
The board added:
1T appears that where hard liquors
are dispensed through State mo-
| nopoly drunkenness is not increasing
so rapidly as in the licensed States.
The percentage of increase for the
| control group Is 2064 and for the
license group 1854"
| Berkeley Showing Worst.
It said that the worst showing for
drunkenness was made by Berkeley,
Calf, which had 10 arrests for drunk
enneSs in 1920 and 557 in 1884, and
added that Somersworth, N. H, had
a decrease from 48 in 1920 to II in
1884.
Even a casual examination of the
cities listed in the tables compiled
during this study" the report said,
indicate that the sale of beer is not
proving as harmless as had been
hoped. Many of the cities where beer
only is legally dispensed show large
i increases in arrests for drunkenness.
Some of this perhaps is due to the
fact that the sale of beer offers
good cover for the sale of other
liquors and that beer drinking acts
as provocative to the appetite, en-
couraging the consumption of spirits.
But much of this drunkenness is no
| doubt due to the heavy consumption
Of beer only.
THE damaging psychological effect
of the anti-prohibition movement is
indicated by the increase in intoxi-
cation arrests in such dry centers as
Emporia and Wichita, Kans.; Will
! mington. N. c., and Birmingham,
Ala"
Social Tendencies Disquieting.
In a statement accompanying the
tables, Deets Pickett. secretary Of the
research and education department
of the board, says:
This study clearly indicates that
the social tendencies under the meas
ureS now taken by the Federal and
State Governments are disquieting. In
general, the prevalence of intoxca-
ton, of accidents due to drink and of
all the consequential injury of al
coholism are in direct proportion to
the amount of liquor consumed. The
amount of liquors consumed has in
creased and is increasing; conse-
quently these social problems en-
large and become more troublesome
in their aspects. The amount OF
liquor consumed is found to be in
direct proportion to the facilities for
getting liquors and the degree OF
trade promotion permitted.
In comparative evaluation OF pro-
hibition and the present system, the
proper comparisons should be between
1920, the first year of prohibition, and
1884. In the last year Of prohibition
the policy had practically collapsed
under the pressure of the anti-prohibl-
ton movement. The results expert
enced in 1920 must be taken as the
proper indication of the value OF pro-
hibition unless it is held that the po-
litical disabilities involved are so great
that the debacle of 1888 was inevi-
table
Particularly disturbing is the in
creasing drunkenness among women.
The relative prevalence Of bootlegging
under prohibition and under repeal
must remain a matter of opinion. In
some communities, informed persons
consider that it has been reduced by
the opening of legal places Of sale;
in other communities it Is said that
bootlegging is more prevalent than
ever before There is a general recog-
milton of the fact that the Govern
ment is taking energetic measures
against this abuse. There is, however,
very general dissatisfaction because
of the lack of adequate measures to
protect dry territory under the pro-
visions of the twenty-flrst amend
nent."
No Scientific Tests.
Eiaborating on the section of the
report devoted to increase in motor
accidents, the board said:
mo Police Department reporting
makes use of any scientific test to de-
termine drunkenness; those arrested
on such a charge are arraigned on the
testimony of the officers only or on
the testimony Of a physician. The
necessity Of the development of scien-
tific methods for determining the de-
gree of drunkenness of those in
volyed in accidents is urgent, as it is
the opinion of safety authorities that
drinking is a factor in accidents in
many cases where drunkenness is not
i apparent"