BITTER LIQOUR FIGHT

Sun (Auckland), Volume III, Issue 874, 18 January 1930, Page 9

BITTER LIQOUR FIGHT

AMERICA CELEBRATES “DEATH OF LIBERTY” PROHIBITION’S BIRTHDAY WASHINGTON, Friday. The 10th anniversary of the prohibition law, which came into operation on January 16, 1920, was celebrated today throughout the United States. In the Senate Mr. J. J. Elaine, Republican member for Wisconsin, submitted a motion for the repeal of the Eighteenth Amendment. He said it could not be enforced except with the aid of sheriffs and Federal judges in every township. Experience had demonstrated that prohibition was a failure, said Mr. Blaine. It was bound to be a failure. Any law to regulate the purely personal habits and customs of the people had always been a failure. Nowhere and in no time had prohibition been enforced or enforceable. Mr. M. Sheppard, Democrat member for Texas, reviewed the achievements of what he termed the ‘‘noble experiment.” He said prohibition continued its triumphant trend and was necessary in this age of machinery. In the House of Representatives Mr. H. A. Cooper, Republican member for Wisconsin, said the history or the liquor traffic revealed it as a foe of orderly government and a breeder of lawlessness. On no other terms could the law-abiding people of the country meet it except upon that of unconditional surrender. ‘‘DRIER EVERY DAY”

At Boston the Liberal Civic League, which opposes prohibition, held a meeting ‘ ill memory of the death of liberty and of the 1,363 people who had been killed in the civil war of prohibition.” Organised prohibitionists, represented by the Women’s Christian Temperance. Union, were addressed by the Commissioner of Prohibition, Mr. J. M. Doran. He gave an outline of the progressively more successful work of his unit. He said America was becoming gradually “drier” every day. How public sentiment was divided was indicated by the wearing of white rosettes by prohibitionists and black ones by anti-prohibitionists. At Chicago the members of the Women’s Christian Temperance Union had a birthday party with a cake on which were 10 candles. The cake was cut and the guests were served with the remark: —“It is in the constitution and it is there to stay.”

TREATY WITH JAPAN A meeting of representatives of the National Anti-Saloon League was held at Detroit. A reaffirmation of its policy read: —“The need of such an organisation as the Anti-Saloon League never was more imperative than today. The task to which the League is committed has not been fully accomplished. Resolutely and devotedly we set ourselves to the completion of the task. “We stand for adequate appropriations to meet the demand for making tho Eighteenth Amendment fully effective.” An interesting development of the day was the exchange of liquor treaties between Japan and the United States. Under these Japan extends to America the right to board, search and seize Japanese vessels illegally carrying liquor within one hour’s sailing distance of these shores. it was announced that a CanadianUnited States conference to examine the question of border control for the purpose of better controlling the flow of liquor across the Canadian line will shortly be held. It is understood that no effort is to be made to conclude a treaty on the question, but that unofficial agreements will be worked out lor mutual co-opera-tiou. When the Eighteenth Amendment was ratified there were six States that were “bone dry” by popular vote. These w ere Washington. Oregon, Montana, Colorado, Utah and Arizona, with 4.2 per cent, of the total population of the United States. There were six States "bone dry” by legislative Act —Idaho, South Dakota, Nebraska, Kansas, Georgia and Florida—with 7.6 per cent, of the total population. There were 18 States with State-wide restrictions, but affording some method for residents to obtain alcoholic beverages lawfully. These were Alabama, Arkansas, Indiana, lowa, Maine, Michigan, Mississippi, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Mexico, North Carolina, North Dakota, Oklahoma, South Carolina. Tennessee, Texas, Virginia and West Virginia, with 32.5 per cent, of the total population The remaining IS States —Vermont, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Connecticut, New York, New- Jersey. Pennsylvania, Delaware. Maryland, Ohio, Kentucky, Illinois, * Wisconsin, Minnesota, Missouri. Louisiana, Wyoming and California —with 55.7 per cent, of the total population, were “wet." that is, without any State-wide “dry” law. All the States which had “hone dry” laws had acquired them after the World War j began in 1914. I