CORRESPONDENCE.

Taranaki Daily News, 21 June 1921, Page 7

CORRESPONDENCE.

PROHIBITION AT WORK. (To the Editor.) Sir, —We occasionally hear something through the press of New Zealand about the failure of prohibition in America, but nothing about its success; and it is a success for a new venture in moral reform. Newspapers just received from America give news of the good effects of the dry reg.'une now beginning there as a nation-wide movement. Massachusetts has some large manufacturing centres and a large population where the law might be resented, but the effect there of protibition is that drunkenness in the state has been reduced from 77,925 in the last wet year to 32,580 in 1920, the first dry year; that is a drop of nearly 60 per cent. Then in New York, also a very populous state, the total commitments to the jails Ln 1917 was 129,000, but this fell to 59,000 in 1920. In New York City they started in the beginning of April a strict law enforcment by which in the first 16 days 1600 arrests were made of those breaking the liquor laws, and large quantities of the goods confiscated. Going in this way, 1921 should show a great improvement In even 1920. The above is from Tht American Issue of May 7., and I should like to quote more but fear to trespass on your space. I would add, however, an item of news on this question, but from another source: Ceylon, where they have a local option law that requires a majority of 75 per cent, to close the drink shops, prohibition was carried by a majority over what this severe law demands. I hope ycu will accept thqse few facts la the "dry” side of the drink probleai.--! am etc., G H.M.