PROHIBITION.

Press, Volume LX, Issue 18241, 27 November 1924, Page 12

PROHIBITION.

ITS POSITION IN AMERICA. Addresses on the position of Prohibition in America were given at a public meeting held in St. Paul's Hall last evening by the Hon. Geo. Fowlds and Mr C. H. Poole, ex-MJP. Mr J. 1. Koyds presided over an attendance of about 100. The Hon. Geo. Fowlds said that ho had travelled across the American Continent eight times —four times before Prohibition, had come into force and four times afterwards —consequently he knew exactly what he was talking about. The "idea that large quantities of liquor were available in America at the present day was exaggerated, said the speaker. He could not understand anv sensible man who would deny that there was an enormous change for the benefit of the whole community. The svstem of national parks had developed tremendously and were visited by many thousands of people. The removal of the liquor traffic was greatly responsible for this, as people had far more money to spend and were financia.lly better off. It was often said, espcciallv bv commercial travellers, that it was difficult to get up-to-date hotel accommodation in a hotel without a license. The speaker had found that in America the position obtaining under the Prohibition regime was toe _ very antithesis. Hotel accommodation was excellent and the business was developing as it had never done before. Mr C. H. Poole said that nowadays the only way to get to the people was by word of mouth. It was very costly to get information to the people through tho Press.. Then, as far as the cables were concerned, he knew of a paper not 1000 miles from the platform where, when the cables broke down, the editor "faked up" cables of his own to Keep the people supplied with news! That editor was sacked by his directorb. Tho great cosmopolitan country of America had undergone an astounding transformation. One could now walk down the Bowery in safety which, 20 years ago, was impossible. Prohibition was now firmly ingrained in the Constitution of the country.

The usual votes of thanks were passed at the conclusion of the mectifls-