Half of America's Crime Due to Drink

Manawatu Times, Volume LV, Issue 7201, 26 April 1930, Page 17

Half of America's Crime Due to Drink

JUSTICE’B STATEMENT NEW YORK, April 5. About 50 per cent, of the elimes of violence are caused by drinking intoxicating liquor, “or a bootleg substitute called such,” according to Mr. Joseph Morschauscr, Justice of the Neiv York State Supreme Court. - The reason for this, Mr. Morsehuuser holds, is that “prohibition has not helped to curtail crime except in certain respects*” Mr, Morschauscr admitted that, while lie was not a prohibitionist, 41 years Of judicial experience had convinced, him that tho Eighteenth Amendment had had a good effect upon the country as a Whole,

“Prohibition has liad its Inllucncc,” lie said, “iii making the general public realiso the harm iu excessive uso of liquor.” In reviewing his experience in the past few years, Mr. Morschauscr said that “iu about 50 per cent of the cases of crimes of violence, filial examination of the cases shows that thb acts committed were the result of Much or littlo uso of alcoholic beverages. “The same tiling' obtains in marital differences,” ho continued, “whero frequently complaints arc made on tho basis of act's of violence attributed to tho influence of liquor on either the man or. woman. Whero thcro is a brawl or an act of violence, half the time We find that the persons involved had previously fortified themselves with drink and that the acts committed were the result of it. But this is what has been and will be as long as liquor is used. Wo havo this type of case now and wo had it before prohibition. Prohibition has had no effect whatever because p'coplo can still gqt liquor, or a bootleg substitute for such,” Mr. Morschauscr saw one of the chief benefits of prohibition iu the attitude of business, industry and professions, with, regard to sobriety, which is now demanded of employees by all big business and industrial corporations employing largo numbers of men. As proof of this, he took up his telephone and spoke With tho manager of the largest factory in Poughkeepsie, asking him W r hat was his employment policy with respect to drinking.

The answer was that in all cases tho company made exhaustive investigations to ensure itself that a prospective employee did not uso liquor. Although of the opinion that prohibition kfid not improved tho crime situation, Mr. Morschauscr said ho Was, nevertheless, sure that conditions in the world were steadily improving. “I’m an optimist, you know,” lvc said, “and I believe the world and the people in it arc far better than in years goiic by as a result of education. We have more people to-day than before, but by a large percentago they are far better. Prohibition has improved the people. No ono wants tho saloon back, but many want tho alcokolio beverages. In time, the people in their majority

will settle this situation. But remember that I have faith in the people and I am positive that tho world is improving every day.”