FIFTH BIRTHDAY.

Hawera Star, Volume XLVIII, 19 January 1925, Page 5

FIFTH BIRTHDAY.

PROHIBITION IN U.S.A. BOTH SIDES STATE CASES. BY CABLE—PRESS ASSOCIATION—COPYRIGHT. WASHINGTON, Jan. 17. ■ Prohibition to-day celebrated its fifth birthday. 1 ..■«* Senator Morris Sheppard, author of the Eighteenth Amendment, issued a statement saying that at every election since the law came into effect the people had signified their approval of prohibition by increasing the dry majorities candidates for the House and the Seiiate. . Thus Congress eviedntly reflected accurately the public sentiment of the nation. 1 During the operation of prohibition there had been a decrease of 500,(XX) annually in the arrests for drunkenness, there had been 250,000 fewer industrial accidents, a decrease in the mortality rate had edveloped, adding three years to the average huamn life, 275 drink cures had dwindled to 2/, there was less poverty, and a saving to the people of /4,000,(XX) dollars annually. , . Prohibition had closed many orphanages, while it crowded the schools and collegs, and doubled the number of investors. “Prohibition,” declares Senator Sheppard, “is the law of the land, and it will remain so.” THE OTHER SIDE.

In expressing the opposition viewpoint, Captain Stvaton, founder and head of the association against the prohibition amendment, says: “Every person knows that prohibition is universally disregarded and that the population, particularly the young, have no moral scruples about breaking this law. Every Congressman, every eighth grade student knows that even the men who passed the law break it in the course of their daily lives in Washington, as disclosed in a recent divorce case. “A wave of indignation is sweeping over the country against the law. The only arguments for prohibition are those from the propaganda book ot the Anti-Saloon League. Against this we have seen 3000 deaths from poison liquor in 1924, with approximately 6000 persons disabled. Most of the fatalities occur in the so-called dry States. “There are more crimes now than ever before. Huge sums have been paid in an attempt to enforce the law —approximating 10,016,000,000 dollars in five years. The mounting list ot arrests and convictions for violations oi the liquor law is proof of the complete failure of Volsteadism.”