A GOOD LEAD!

Taranaki Daily News, 20 September 1919, Page 2

A GOOD LEAD!

To the Editor. Sir, Seeing that we in New Zealand will be called on Iu a few weeks' time to decide for or against prohibition of the sale of intoxicating drinks. It is well that we can look at a place where the experiment is being tried. I refer to America. If we see that prohibition is a good thing in that great country we need be in no doubt about introducing It In New Zealand; and if it has produced good eiTects in great cities like Chicago and New York, we need nut fear about it In our Wellington and Auckland. They have had prohibition in 32 States for longer or shorter rerlods before Ist July, when national prohibition came into force. In those States it has been found beneficial. We now want to see how it works in the large cities that were called "wet" because they had always Voted against prohibition. With th's Id view 1 hope you will give space for a few short extracts from New York and Chicago newspapers that were not prohibition advocates, but are just recording facts and experiences of the great reform. Your readers will please remember that the country went dry on Ist July, just three days before Indeipendence Day —die glorious 4th which Is a time of rejoicing and hilarity. The New York Herald of 7th July declares that nowhere were the effects of prohibition more marked than on the famous Old Bowery (famous for drunken riots) on the first dry Saturday. "Nary' 1 a solitary drunk was noticed on- tho street that used to be their haven. Then the New York Tribune of the 19th says: Police records made public yesterday show a falling off of approximately thirty per cent in arrests for drunkenness. Chicago Tribune, 14th July, says: Crime In Chicago decreased 23 per cent in the first seven days of prohibition, according to figures given out yesterday by First Deputy Chief of Police Alcock. Chicago American, 10th July, says: With the passing of old J. Barleycorn Chicago's crime record has fallen olf more than 50 per cent. This discovery, amazing to some, was announced by Chief of Detectives, James L. Mooney. Chicago Post, July 2nd, says Yngabondia Is passing with the passing of Krng Alcohol. • Many of the birds of passage that in other 'days congregated in—certain streets named—had vanished to-day, flown nobody knows where. Then on the sth the Post says: For the first time in Its history, Chicago to-day enjoyed a July sth without a dark brown after-taste., The traditional clutter of the day after the Fourth is missing, for the anniversary of independence was celebrated with few explosives, liquid or powder. So one might go on. The testimony is the more valuable in that It is said that prohibition cannot be enforced in large cities. Iteports from the largest, formerly wet, cities ail hear testimony to better order and crime reduced from 50 to 80 per cent. Tbese reports are from Baltimore, Md., San Francisco, St. Louis, Cleveland, 0., Louisiana, etc. If the same good record is continued in these formerly wet cities for a few months—and why not? —prohibition will have made boj many converts that much of the opposition I to constitutional prohibition will disappear.— i I am, etc., O. H. M.