CORRESPONDENCE.

Taranaki Daily News, 14 May 1921, Page 2

CORRESPONDENCE.

EFFECTS OF PROHIBITION.

(To the Editor.)

Sir,—As there are frequently items in the Press about the effects of prohibition in America, the enclosed digest of news from that country may be of. interest. The whole is too much for you to publish, but may I ask for space for a brief summary. The object is to show what effect the dry regime has on crime in rural districts and the smaller cities, though some of them run Into over 40,000 population. The comparison is made of the jail population, as thaf is taken to indicate the extent of crime in the county; for counties in that country have control of jails. The statements are taken as on July 1 of each of the years, 1918, 1919, 1920, and from 200 counties, scattered over 14 States from California to Massachussetts. In the whole area under view there were in, 1918 a jail population of 8251, and in the corresponding date in 1920 that was reduced to 5357 ; that is a drop of 35 per cent. It is to be noted, too, that all these rural areas were not dry: 100 are described as dry, 65 as wet, and 35 as partly dry (that is, dry municipalities in a wet county). This Is only in line with tho general information we get from U.S.A.; crime is associated with drink, and our own daily newspaper confirms that opinion.— I am etc., G.H.M.