PROHIBITION IN AMERICA.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LX, Issue 18571, 1 December 1923, Page 12

PROHIBITION IN AMERICA.

VISITOR'S OBSERVATIONS.

[BX TELEGRAPH.OWN COEBESPONDENT.J

\ '■ DUNEDIN. Friday. Recently Mr. James Begg, of Dunedin, was a visitor to the Western Coast of America. In an interview regarding working of the prohibition law in that country, he said it was 18 years since he last visited the Pacific coast and he found an immeasurable improvement in the cities. They were cleaner, the streets were better kept, and there was no drunkenness in public. " During the whole time I was in the United States I saw only one drunken man," declared Mr. Begg. " There is no doubt a great amount of illicit trading is done, but it is not obvious to the personal observation of a visitor. I was only twice offered a arink, and these offers were from commercial travellers • on the railways. Among the people with whom I came into university professors, irrigation engineers, managers and farmers—the subject was not discussed unless introduced by myself. Tho people apparently accept the position and regard it as a good thing and final.

" As far as I could gather the Western States are in a much better position than the Eastern States, where resistance to the prohibition law is much more pronounced. It was extraordinary to me that in British Columbia, where there is State Control of liquor with Government liquor stores at convenient points, both in the city and in the country, bootlegging and illicit liquor trading appear to be rampant. I saw more in the newspapers in Vancouver about arrests for illicit liquor trading than I saw in any town in th«: United States. Everyone to whom I spoke about prohibition, even those opposed to it tooth and nail, agreed' that the 18th amendment had come to stay. Some people thought a mere liberal interpretation would yet be put on the amendment in the way of allowing a larger alcoholic content in wines and light beers, but the vast majority of the people seemed to.be convinced that the law would not be changed but would ultimately be strictly, enforced."