NATIONAL PROHIBITION IN THE UNITED STATES.

Otaki Mail, 29 January 1919, Page 4

NATIONAL PROHIBITION IN THE UNITED STATES.

| e— - 1 THE LIQUOR TRAFFIC FINALLY AND PERMANENTLY BANISHED FROM A COUNTRY POPULATED BY OVER 100,000,000 PEOPLE. < (Published by arrangement.) The final climax of a country’s/ struggles with the liquor traffic in the United States has now been reached. A cable from Washington announces that constitutional permanent prohibition has now been passed in that country. This practically means that after Ist July next it will be legally impossible for any State to import, manufacture, sell, transport, or export alcoholic beverages, The prohibition movement in America has had three distinct 1. LOCAL OPTION, which is familiar to all New Zealanders. 2. STATE PROHIBITION, which would be better understood bv Australians than New Zealanders. 3 NATIONAL CONSTITUTIONAL PROHIBITION.—To understand this a bit of history-is necessary. When the rupture occurred between the Colonies in America and ( the Government of George 111, these . States banded together to forin the j American Commonwealth. They f were very jealous, however, of loeal rights, and they provided that each of the thirteen States should have its own legislature, dealing with local matters, while national matters would be dealt with by the central Federal Government. Au elaborate constitution was drawn up that was calculated to ensure no trespass upon State rights, either by the nation as a whole, or by the National Government. This constitution could only be amended by the National Government, getting a two-thirds majority to any proposal, and submitting the proposal to the Legislature of all the States in the Union. Three-fourths of these State Legislatures had to ratify the proposed amendment before it came into effect. The anti-saloon forces of the United States recognise that there was no permanent solution to the liquor problem until the entire nation had prohibition. As long as any individual States tolerated the j liquor $ traffic, it was difficult for Prohibition States to enforce their I own Act 9. Consequently some years I ago the slogan " A saloonless nation in 1920,” was adopted, but under the pressure of war conditions has been realised a year ahead. On January Ist of this year, 30 of the 48 States had adopted State I Prohibition. On December Ist, last • year, every brewery and distillery in ) the United States closed down, because a Federal law dealing with the acceleration of agriculture, forbade the use of any grains foE liquor purposes. Further, on July Ist next, by special war legislature, the sale of alcoholic liquors will cease in the United States, tintil President Wilson declares demobii lisation has been accomplished. In 1917 tho Federal Government of the United States passed the Pro-, ■ hibition Amendment to the constitui lion. During 1918 14 of the State legislatures ratified the proposal ; 'in January of this year, as advised ' by recent cable. 22/nore States have • ratified. No State has yet. refused to ratify, and probably 44 States in 1 all will come into line. But the required three-fourths, i.e., 36 States, 1 are now secured, and therefore the issue is settled. V This constitutional prohibition becomes effective 12 months after ratification, and therefore becomes operative a year from now. It is hardly conceivable that President Wilson will declare demobilisation completed inside a year. Therefore, starting with Ist July next, the U.S. of America are through finally and completely with alcoholic beverages. This is the. most significant and farreaching social reform that the world ; j ias e ver known, because while other i reforms, as the abolition ' of slavery, was a movement by which certain large sections of the country «were seriously affected economically» tMs prohibition achievement is of benefit to every last citizen of the community. The Pfsops m the liquor trade itself arefl a short time after'-grphibition that , they are glad the business is gone. The actual amendment that has been passed reads as follows: „ “The manufacture, sale or transi portation of intoxicating liquors within, the importation thereof into, and the exportation thereof from the United States and all territory sub| ject to • the jurisdiction thereof for beverage purposes are highly probiI bited.” Section 2: * The Congress < shall have the power to enforce this • article by appropriate legislation, and nothing in this article shall deprive the several States of their power to enact and enforce laws prohibiting the traffic in intoxicating • liquors.”