PROHIBITION ENQUIRY

Hokitika Guardian, 12 April 1926, Page 3

PROHIBITION ENQUIRY

HOMES TURNED INTO BREWERIES. [Australia & N.Z. Cable Association. 1 NEW YORK, April 0. Mr William Roberts, personally representing Mr William Green, the President of tJlio American Federation of Labour, testified before the Senate Prohibition Inquiry. lit! said that the homes of the people were being turned into breweries and distilleries, that were turning out dangerous concoctions which would ruin the health of those who drank them to any extent. America, ho said, was drifting nearer and nearer to becoming a whiskydrinking nation under prohibition. Air Andrew JAiruscth, the President ' of the International Seamen’s Union who followed the sea for fifty years said that ho and other sailors wanted “clean, wholesome beer—the kind my * mother used to make.” Mr James O’Connelly, the Labour Leader, said that the old-fashioned r saloon was still operating in New York, with free lunch. Mr O’Connolly said; “You cannot regulate drinking or females smoking cigarettes nnv more than von can fly.” CASE FOR THE “ WETS.” PROSPERITY NOT DEE TO “DRY” LAW. {Received this day at 8 a.m.) WASHINGTON, April 10. Sir William Stewart, ex-Chairmnn of the Quebec Liquor Commission, and Frussell, president of the Manitoba Moderation League, testified before the Senate Committee that Prohibition was tried in one Canadian Province after another with such disastrous results that the resentment of the people forced a repeal of the dry laws and the enactment of Government distribution of liquor which was regarded ns an unspeakable condition by . the dry regime. Sir W. Stewart said that semi-pro-hibition bad been tried in Quebec and even that was found too drastic. Ho later pointed out that under probibi- , tion young people were corrupted and 1 the psychopathic wards were filled, 1 which was duo to the vile stuff drunk. J Crime had also increased. ( John Sullivan, President of the New ' York State Federation of Labour, } testified that the improvement in the higher standards of life and work and i the greater reward for services ren- j dered were not duo to the Volstead 1 law, but in spite of them. Organised ? labour has ever been engaged in pro- 1 moting' temperate drinking njid was ], making great progress therein. Until n the enactment of the Volstead law ] millions of homes, in tho majority f whereof liquor was never seen, had 11 now been turned into breweries and probably distilleries. Dry witnesses will probably appear before the committee oil Monday. [ln sunny Florida, U.S.A., one can lf get a drink 11 as often ns the spirit " moves one,” is tho assertion of Mr W. " •T. von Brethren, who arrived by tho Corinthio from Panama last week. Mr von Brethren is a- resident of Palm ° Bench, the capital of the Eiveria of the United States. Tliero is a- British colony ‘ls miles away where, they are not so particular, and as we have 1000 111 miles of const line that is not easily 111 patrolled liquor can he landed fairly 11 Jrosily during the night. Of course, there is also a good deal of moonshine called white mule.” “Has it a kick ?”

was an interjection. “I guess so. It doesn’t take very much to put a man r off his balance. There are moonshiners all over the country, hut some of tho 0 stuff is quite good. Then also one can get tho best whisky for ten or twelve dollars a bottle, although a. goodlv portion. is watered down. There is a special printing press in Florida whero they make attractive labels for watered down liquor.”