PROHIBITION.

Auckland Star, Volume LXI, Issue 15, 18 January 1930, Page 9

PROHIBITION.

TENTH ANNIVERSARY Sharp Division Of Opinion On Its Efficacy. AMERICAN SENTIMENT. (United P.A.-Electric Telegraph-Copyright) WASHINGTON, January 17. The tenth anniversary of the prohibition law, which came into operation on January 16, 1920, was celebrated yesterday throughout the United States. In the Senate Mr. J. J. Blaine (Republican, Wisconsin) submitted a motion for the repeal of the Eighteenth Amendment. He said it could not be enforced except with the aid of the sheriffs and Federal judges in every township. Experience had demonstrated that prohibition was a failure, said Mr. Blaine. It was bound to be a failure. Any law to regulate the purely personal habits and customs of the people had always been a failure. Nowhere and in 110 time had prohibition been enforced or enforceable. Mr. M. Sheppard (Democrat, Texas) reviewed the achievements of what he termed the "noble experiment.'' He said prohibition continued its triumphant trend and was necessary in tliip age of machinery. In the House of Representatives Mr, H. A. Cooper (Republican, Wisconsin) said the history of the liquor traffic revealed it as a foe of orderly government and a breeder of lawlessness. On no other terms could the law-abiding people of the country meet it except upon that of unconditional surrender. At Boston the Liberal Civic League, which opposes prohibition, held a meeting "in memory of the death of liberty and of the 1363 people who had been killed in tho civil war of-prohibition." Organised prohibitionists represented by the Women's Christian Temperance Union were addressed by the Commissioner of Prohibition, iff. J. M. Doran. He gave an outline of the progressively more successful work of his unit. He said America was becoming gradually "drier" every day. ■ How public sentiment was divided was indicated by the wearing of white rosettes by prohibitionists and black ones by anti-prohibitionists. At Chicago the members of the Women's Christian . Temperance Union had a birthday party with a cake on which were ten eandles. The cake was cut and the guests were served with the remark: "It is in the constitution and it is there to stay." A meeting of representatives of the National Anti-Saloon League was held at Detroit. A reaffirmation of its policy read: "The need of such an organisation ns tho Anti-Saloon League never was more imperative than to-day. The task to which the league is committed has not been fully accomplished. Resolutely and devotedly we set ourselves to the completion of the task. "We stand for adequate appropriations to meet the demand for making the Eighteenth Amendment fully effective." An interesting development of the day was the exchange of liquor treaties between Japan and the United States. Under these Japan extends to America the right to board, search and seize Japanese vessels illegally carrying liquor within one hour's sailing distance of these shores. It was announced that a CanadianUnited States conference to examine the question of border control for the purpose of better controlling the flow of liquor across the Canadian line will shortly be held. It is understood that no effort is to be made to conclude a treaty on the question, but that unofficial agreements will be worked out for mutual co-operation.