"DEMORALISING."

Press, Volume LXI, Issue 18547, 24 November 1925, Page 13

"DEMORALISING."

PROHIBITION IN U.S.A. CHRISTCHURCH MAN'S IMPRESSIONS. (STZCIAI. TO "THE TRESS.") "WELLINGTON. November 23. After returning to his home town of Boston, Mr It. B. Beats is convinced that in one way at least-Prohibition is a failure. Mr Beals, now a prouiiuent Christchurch merchant, returned by the R.M.S. Makura today, and he says that Prohibition in the .States is demoralising thc class which America can ; Icaft afford to have suffer. He admit?, however, that Prohibition I has its good points. "There uere ! manufacturer* who supported Prohibition because I hey believed that it. would do a great deal of good among working men," paid Mr Deals, when interviewed. "They believe that their working men I arc steadier now, and that the number of industrial accidents is less. Maybe Prohibition has done some good among ibis class of people, but amongst others iif has been demoralising. Amongst thc better classes it has led to good citizens violating the law, because they have to do so in order to. get what they want, and that cau always be done if only one knows how to do it. j "Thc bootlegger in the States can duplicate almost every brand which you may buy in New Zealand. Of course, you understand, people arc not so particular now as to what brand they drink, as long as it is good whisky. The great drinks nowadays arc whisky ! and gin. The latter cau be, and is, manufactured in the States. Whisky costs round about 30s per bottle when bought by the ease, which is higher than when.l was last across a year ago. Then bottles were to be had at about £1 apiece. This may bo a tribute to the enforcement of the law. Ido not know. Only for the Ridi. "Alcohol also, is smuggled into the .States in large quantities, and is sold j at, high prices. It is used, especially for tho manufacture of giii. It may be, as has been reported, that thc jioorer classes in the States cannot afford drink since Prohibition. They may j get. hold of moonshine, and risk being | killed by it; but the more expensive stuff may be beyond their purse. ' , "Enforcement officers, have adopted ' a good number of plans in the course of | their work, but no one plan seems to I succeed. The latest move has bee.n to 'change all the officers in charge of the differcut districts, in the hope that by getting new blood into thc work' more effective service will be given. Thc rum fleet seems t* have disappeared^ The Government has now rum chasers, and tho fleet is broken up. I think that there may be as many vcssols as ever engaged in the trade, but now they I are scattered from Maine to Florida, • and are no longer on tho New Jersey coast. I kuow nothing of the Pacific. I have heard people say that thc fleet has gone to the Pacific Coast, but I scarcely think that possible."

Mr Beals does not think that Prohibition and crime are allied in thc States. "Thc real reasons for the increase in crime seem to mo to be the motor-car and the automatic," he said. "They have made it. much easier for thc criminal to do his dirty work and get away. As to Prohibition generally, I think'it is tgj> early to pass an opinion as to merits, but meantime it is demoralising. law-abiding citizens."