TEMPERANCE COLUMN.

Hawera & Normanby Star, Volume XLII, Issue 7389, 15 February 1902, Page 4

TEMPERANCE COLUMN.

| Published by arrangement with the Temperance Party.]

FROM A MAYOR'S VIEW POINT.

An interview with Mr J. A. Johnson, who has been four times elected as Mayor of Fargo, North Dakota, U.S.A., and still holds office.

The following information is tho result of our conference :

"How long has the prohibition law been in force in North Dakota ?"

" Since 1889, when it was admitted to statehood, with the prohibitory amendment a part- of the constitution."

"Is your population wholly American P"

" "We have a great many Scandinavians."

"How do they feel about this law?"

14 They favor it almost universally. When the agitation for re-submission h%s been the greatest, immense bribes have been offered them, and, although many of them have mortgages upon their homes and farms, they refused the bribes and stood firm for prohibition."

"How is the prohibition sentiment throughout the state ?"

" Overwhelmingly in favor of the law. I believe if you wou!d turn all of the money from the United States treasury into t k e state, you could not carry it for re-submission.

11 Of course sv.ch a policy has be9n detrimental to the best interests of the city from a business standpoint ?" «' No 1 Fargo's population to-day is 11,566, and is increasing daily. There is not a vacant dwelling or business house in the town. With the exception of Kansas City, Mo., this is the greatest distributing point for farm machinery in the country."

11 But the expenses of your city must be very high ?"

" They are 25 per cent loss than when we had saloons, and out tax per cent i 3 much lower fcfcau that of scores of other cities."

" But without the saloon revenue you cannot have the modern improvements ?" 11 We have twenty-two miles of paved streets and own our watnr works, which ownership netted us 8 per cent, interest upon the investment instead of being an expense."

•' Is it more difficult to enforce the prohibitory law in a border town than in the interior ?"

*• It is really less difficult, as the saloons remain on the license side. The saloonkeepers in our neighboring lioense town send free hacas over to our city to carry passengers to the saloons. These hacks, or 'jag wagons,' as they are called, are not allowed to solicit patronage or to stand on the main thoroughfares. Of course they pick up a great many passengers, but less than 5 per cent sr-3 residents of Fargo — the rest belong to our floating population, wbich follows the harvest season " "Is there liquor sold in Fargo ?" " I do not know of one place where

you could buy a glass of liquor for beverage purposes." "What are the terms of your search and seizure law 1"

After some thought, he replied: "Well, really, it has been so long since we have been compelled to make a raid that I cannot remember the exact text of the law " — and that statement was the best commentary upon the enforcement of the prohibitory law which he could have given.

This has been written for " ammunition " against the statements which we no frequently hear, that " prohibition does not prohibit ; a city cannot be run without revenue ; it id necessary to license saloons to have modern improvements, etc., etc., ad nauscum et ad infinitum."