NATIONAL PROHIBITION.

Taranaki Daily News, 12 February 1919, Page 6

NATIONAL PROHIBITION.

IN THE UNITED STATES. THE LIQUOR TRAFFIC FINALLY AND PJiUIMANENTLY BAMSfiJED. The fiiifll climax of a century's struggle with the Liquor Traffic in the United SUtes 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, manuiacture, sell, transport, or export alcoholic beverages. The prohibition movement in America has had three distinct phases:— (1) Local Option—which is familiar to all New Zeakinders. (2) State Prohibition—which would be better understood by 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 'l'lurd, these States ■banded together to lurm the American Coinuioawealth. They wejo very jealous, however, of Local Eights, 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. 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 ail 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 ao permanent solution to the liquor problem until the entire nation had prohibition As long as any individual states tolerated the liquor traffic, it was difficult for prohibition states to enforce their own Acts Consequently some years ago the slogan, "A Saloonless Nation in 1920" ■was adopted, but under the pressure of war conditions this has been realised a year ahead. On January Ist of this year, 30 of the 48 States had adopted State Prohibition. On December Ist last year, every brewery arid distillery in the US. closed down, because a Federal Law dealing with tho acceleration of agriculture, forbade the use of any grains for uquor purposes. Further, on July Ist next, by special war legislature, the sale of alcoholic liquors will cease in the V.b. until President Wilson declares demobilisation has been accomplished. In 1917 the Federal Government of the U.S. passed the Prohibition Amendment to the constitution. During 1918 14 of the State legislatures ratified the proposal; in January of this year as advised by recent cable, 22 more states have "ratified. No state has yet refused to ratify, and probably 44 states in all will come into line But the required threefourths, i.e., 36 states, are now secured, and therefore the issue is settledThis constitutional prohibition 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 nest, tho U.S. of America are through finally and completely j with alcoholic beverages. This is the most significant and far-reaching social reform that the world has ever known, because while other reforms such as the abolition of slavery was a movement by which certain large sections of the country were seriously affected economically, this prohibition achievement is of benefit to every last citizen of the community- The persons in the liquor 1 trade itself are frank to admit a short I time fitter prohibition, that they are gal the business is gone. The actual amendment that has been passed reads! as follows: "The manufacture, sale or transportation of intoxicating liquors within, {he importation thereof into, and the exporation thereof from the United States and all territory subject Ito the jurisdiction thereof for beverage purposes are hereby prohibited. 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'"— Advt.