DRINK PROBLEM.

Taranaki Daily News, 1 October 1921, Page 5

DRINK PROBLEM.

EXPERIMENT IN AMERICA. EVIDENCE AGAINST IT. LABOR M.P.’s REPORT. By Telegraph.—Press Assn.—Copyright. Received Sept. 30, 5.5 pan. London, Sept. 29. Messrs. Sitch and John Davison, Labor members of the House of Commons, recently visited the United States to report on prohibition. They say they went with open minds, and were impressed with the idea that prohibition was an unmixed blessing. With this they can no longer agree. They found the anti-liquor law agitating industry in America to an unexampled degree. They add: “In our judgment prohibition, as we have been led to believe it prevailed, does, not exist, but the prohibition law has resulted in an enormous development of home brewing and wine making. Illicit stills are quite common in private houses, the necessary apparatus being purchaseable at stores. We constantly observed business men producing pocket flasks of liquor. A serious element in private brewing is the opportunity afforded the common informer, than whom thev know no personality, except the blackmailer, that is more odious to Englishmen.

“We were assured that whereas formerly business men were content to take an occasional drink in saloons, they are now in the habit of taking quantities of liquor to the offices for private consumption. ‘Black and white* in dozens could be obtained for ninety dollars a case. Though we were only able to procure soft drinks when visiting saloons alone, we found no difficulty in procuring alcohol when accompanied by persons known to the saloon keepers. Being warned of the poisonous nature of these concoctions, we refrained from drinking them, but partook of alcohol in private houses. America ia described.as a bootleggers’ paradise. The saloons have had an evil reputation, and to their old odious form they will not return, but we believe the American public will demand facilities to buy light wines and beers.

“We were furnished with a great mass of material showing a heavy increase in personal savings, the development of business, of food, clothing and stores attributed to prohibition, and many business men assert that workmen' are better timekeepers. We are not disposed to accept the assertions as unchallengeable: indeed. We have been supplied with data rebutting them. We think much of the alleged improvement has been due to the trade boom at the end of the war. Now there is a different state of affairs —there are nearly six million unemployed in American staple industries.” The report points out that the American Federation of Labor convention at Denver unanimously protested against prohibition, demanding a modified form in order to permit the manufacture of wholesome beer. —Aus.-N.Z. Cable xlssn. Assn.