The Daily News. TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 19, 1901. PROHIBITION IN MAINE.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume XXIII, Issue 273, 19 November 1901, Page 2

The Daily News. TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 19, 1901. PROHIBITION IN MAINE.

A correspondent of a coctemporary* who is particularly qualified to express an opinion, has bean travelling through America and says:— " Having heard at different times so very many contradictory statements as to the effect and results of the prohibitory laws in in the State of Maine, and more particularly that in a seaport the mz9 of Portland the law could not be enforced, we thought it would be a good opportunity for investigating the subject in a quiet and unostentatious manner; At the outset some time was necessarily spent in quietly obsorving the ways and manners of the people. Being an important shipping port, with lines of passenger steamers running regularly to England, and also to the different American ports on the Atlantic, it will be readily understood that the neighbourhood of the wharves would show signs of activity. This was not confined to the shipping, for all through the city there were indications of business being brisk, and the whole place had an air of prosperity. During this time we failed to notice any sign of - liquor being sold, or of people under its influence, so with the object of gaining some definite information we resolved to interview the editor of the Issuing commercial daily paper, which claims to issue 10,000 copies daily. After some general discussion on New Zealand and American politics, the subject of j the liquor laws was introduced, but the editor stated frankly that ha did not. belong to the Prohibition party. We hid already noticed that there were no signs of friendliness to Prohibition in the columns of his piper, any more than you would expect to find in any ordinary commercial paper in the colonies of Australasia. In reply, however, to a question as to the results of Prohibition so far as be had observed them, he stated emphatically tbat in his opinion the city of Portland was morally, socially, and financially behefited by a strict enforcement of the prohibitory laws. Referring to the expression, strict enforcement, he stated that in some instances men had been elected to office who were careless or indifferent, with the natural result that the law was broken repeatedly, as so many other laws are violated. At the last election, however, there was a general feeling throughout the community that the laws must be observed, and that irrespective of party considerations, they must elect a sheriff who would enforce the law. The outcome of that feeling was the election of Mr Samuel E. Pearson to the pssition of sheriff of Cumberland County, which includes the city of Portland, and he was doing his duty." A reference is then made to a public holiday, when the city was crowded with visitors, and it was estimated that there were fully 100,000 people in Portland that day. The story goes on, " We mingled freely with the crowd, hoard their conversation, and noted how they were enjoying themselves, but saw no indications of liquor being offered for s?le, or of anyone being under its influence. In addition to theatres in the city there are three or four parkß within a radius of three or four miles. In e?ch of these parks there is a theatre, usually with a matinee and an evening performance during the summer season. The Portland Electric Company have a good car service to each of these parks, which are apparently upder their control. Although there is a frequent service, the cars were full each time and tbe performances well attended. Near each theatre there is a large and attractive casino, where lunches, dinners, and light refreshments are obtainable. These were fairly wdl patronised by the visitors, but neither in casino or theatre, nor on the journey ou'. or return, did we detect any sign of intoxicant, tither by sight or from the breath of anyone. Another trip was ma le to " O'd Orchard," a favourite sea ide resort for summer bathing and rest, flera there is a finp, smoo'h, sandy beach ; wh,?re hundreds of people were bathing and eyidpntly enjayjng themselves. There are some fine hotels hero, but no liquor sold or inquired for, so far as we could hoar. Being anxious to obtain some official information as to the observance of the laws, we decided to obtain an interview with the | sheriff and hear bis views. In the course of a lengthy conversation Mr Sheriff Pearson said:—ln effect the prohibitory law against the sale of intoxicants is as stfiptly enforced in the city of Portland and", County of Cumberland as any law on cur Statute Book, and at the present time there is no open bar in tbe city or county whqre liquor is gold. In spite of the! Ilaw, hpwqver, there a,re people in this'

country as in others, who are on the look out for every opportunity for breaking the law when there is any prospect of a profit being made out of so doing. Advantage is token of a public holiday, or congestion of traffia on the railway, to ship liquor into Portland from other States, The officers of the law are, however, cootinually on the alert, and the stuff is seized and confiscated, according to law, after being stored for « period of ,14 days. The geneial testimony of business men in Portland is to the efiee tbat the strict enforcement of the pro hibitory law has resulted in a 25 per cent, improvement in the boot and shoe trade, 30 per cent, in the clothing trade, and 40 per cent, in the confectionery trade. It had bean fraely stated that visitors would not come to Portland if there was no possibility of procuring liquor to drink under som pretext or other. What is the result ? Why, all the hotels are full, and the number of summer visitors to Portland is larger this year than ever before.

In reply to a question, the manager of our hotel assured u-i that they were having a splendid season, and were refusing applicants for rooms emy day, although the hotel had baen enlarged quite recently. If the prosperity of a community is to be judged by its saving rather than by its spe ading power, then the State of Maine occupies a proud position. Th" State of Ohio is known for its extensive manufacturing industries, its agricultural p'ospects, and commercial prograss. The State of -Illinois is also looked upon as being progrfssive aDd prosperous. Each of these States has large numbers of distilleries and brew erios, with licecsed hotels and saloons all through the country. It will, therefore be interesting to make a comparison of the saving powers of the people in these three States, with the population:— State Population. Maine . .. 661,086 Ohio .. .. 3,672,816 Illinois .. .. 3,826,351 From these, the latest figueres obtainable, it will be seen that the States of Ohio and Illinois have more than five times tha population of the State of Maine. Lit us now lo ik at the deposits in the pavings binks: j State, Savings Bank Deposits, £ Maine .. .. 11,009,790 1 Ohio .. .. 7,135,301 Illinois .. .. 5,845,052 In making this comparison it must

be further remembered that while the bulk of the land in Maine, known a« " The Pine Tree State," is somewhat similar in quality to that of Waikumete and Henderson, in the Auckland district, that the Ohio is more like the East Ooast, Opotoki, and Whakatane. It will thus be seen that Maine, with its poorer soil, has over eleven million pounds sterling deposited in its savings banks, being 50 per cent more than that of Ohio, and more than double the 'deposit of that of Illinois, with less 1 than one-fifth in numbsr of the population of either State. With a population within the boundaries of the city of 50,700 people, they support 49 schools, with a stuff of 220 teachers Having noticed the splendid diaplaj made by the fire department in the procession on Old Home Day, we called on the 1 city auditor for some detailed information on that and kindred subsubjects. We were very courteously received, and obtained the fullest idformation with regard to all city expenditure, which may be summarised as folows:—The police, schools', firebrigade, sanitary, and all other city expenditure is raised by direct taxation on all real estate, and on personal effects, but with an exemption of £IOO on the latter. These is no revenue from licensed houses, and yet the city of Portland maintains a splendidly equipped fire department, with feven steam engines and horse waggons, one chemical engine, one combined truck and chemical engine, five extra hose

waggons, seven two horse, and six one horse waggons, with the same number of sleds for winter use, and one fire,bnat. They have 35 horses, 28,000 feet of fire ho»e, 39 meo on the permanent staff, and 163 drilled men available when required at a oil l , The result of our inquiry and obgeivation forced us to the conclusion that the prohibitory law of Maine has reduced the sale and private consumption of liquors to an infinitesimal amount. It removed from public view thf temptation and allurements of the brilliantly-decorated and attractive open bar, and the children of the State have grown up free from its influence. It has been repeatedly stated that prohibition might do in sparsely-settled districts, but was not practicable in cities of any size. The answer to this statement is the case of Portland, with | a population in the municipality at i least 25 per cent, more than any city in New Zealand, and very similar in many respects, In Portland the ship ping interest is first, followed closely by the general merchant, boot and shoe factories, paper mills, etc. With re gard to the alleged breaches of the laws it may he safely affirmed that there are far more violations of the Alcoholic Liquor Sales Control Act in any city in New Zealand than there are of the liquor laws in the city of Portland, Maine, U.S.A., during any month of the year."