TEMPERANCE COLUMN.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 14582, 22 July 1909, Page 3

TEMPERANCE COLUMN.

OXli YKAK OF JAKOHIJUTION ,f.\ A (.HiKAT IXDUSTKIAL CENTRE. (Wriiten for the I'loliibilion ' . Press by Robert CI. Hidcji, of the Birmingham Aen.-.) PRISOXKRK IX COUNTY GAOL IiXIJEII PROHIBITION. Xew Year's Day, 1809, found 97 less pri-oiK'i's iu the Jefferson Comity Gaol th.-in on the same day of 1908. Tho warden oi the county gaol states that the actual criminal record under prohibition has fallen off between 40 and 50 per cent. The following shows the number of prisoners in gaol at tho end of each month of IUO7, and comparison is made with the eir.l of each month of 1908:— 1907. 1908. January m ... 251 228 J'clj.T.avy 225 .. 171 •March ...• ... 319 _ 167 A.pril 261 167 May ... m ... 197 .Juno 2C6 163 July 220 16?. Augu..t 291 ... 217 foptanber 233 ... 2C6 Octet:.!* -... 233 153 Xov; mt.-er 217 ... 187 Ilccember 285 — 183 Total '.. 5028 ... 2211 It imisi lm remembered that iu 1908 it large number of these arrests were made under abnormal conditions—lhat is, glowing out of the coll miners' strike. Tho actual number of criminals in the county gaol during 1908 was from <10 to SO per cent, less each month than in 1907. PROHIBITION'S MARVELLOUS RECORD IN LEADING SUBURB. The rccord of prohibition iu Amtistoii, from a criminal standpoint, has k'Cii very much more satisfactory than in Birminglitiin. Judged from Hie viewpoint oi ks-ec-ning crime and disorder, prohibition has been a great suc'ccs; there. Tho following comparative statemcjit of the number of arrests in Anuistou during 1907 and IGO3 is interesting in this connection: — 1907. 1908. Total number <•,( (i.vre&ts ... 3E61 1283 Total number of arrests for drunkenness ... . .. 1251 165 •- IXTKIINAL REVENUE FIGURES, . BOOT-LEGGING, AND "EXPRESS TRAFFIC'. The U.S. Revenue Collector has issued 220 licenses for retail liquor dealers for Jefferson County from July 1, 1003, to June 1, 1909. Of these 220 licenses atl fixpert. v.'lio lias studied carefully tho prohibition question here, and is familiar with conditions, says that 193 are. held by people who deal in liquor illegally. lii ether words, it appears there tire 193 blind tigers in Jefferson County operating under a Federal liijuor license. The other 27 are for legalised clubs, suelt as the Birmingham Country Club, the Southern (.'tub. anil tor druggists, who are permittod to sell liquor under conditions. In additions. In i'/.ldition to tlies-o 193 blind tigers, there is a good deal of boot-legging done here. Many negroes carry botties in their pock-els, and sell them," and there are supposed lo be/ dozens of places where liquor i:; sold on the sly without license of ally kind. It would be impossible to csti-

j mate the exact, number of these -places or bow much liquor they are selling, as ihey | are all conducted in secret, i'iie police j sire continually '' (lushing" them, though j n great- many of them are never caii^hi. i LIQUOR .SOLD PROIiAHLY 30 PER. I CENT. OK LICENSE DAVI-!. The truth is a great deal of liquor is being sold here, anil lifjiu/V anil lira' arc delivered at residences legally under interState commerce tralfie. Large.quantities of liquor come> by express tmd freight. How much nobody knows, though tho general opinion here is that it is about 25 or perhaps 30 per cent, of the amount consumed under the enloi'in regime. The Police Force ha-; not been reduced by reason of prohibition, and no small part of their lime and dl'orts is, taken up in undertaking to. enfoice (he prohibition laws. It is not denied large (juantilii's of liquor are illegally sold here. It is further a matter of okervalion lhat large quantities are distributed liere from liquor dealers outside of the ytatc. TEMPORARY HANDICAPS TO GREATER SUCCESS. When prohibition was adtiptwl by Birmingham and Jefferson County the Jlayor of Birmingham was opposed to it as'an economic measure. The Chief of Police was opposed to it, and it was generally understood that the authorities who have the handling of the law in this city and comity were opposed to it. It may be said that most of them ate still opposed 'to it. in a way, but are nothing like so strong in their opposition. They have been modified largely in their opinions, it is believed, by what they have seen in the operation of prohibition and its results. Also a. very strong prcsnira has been brought- to bear upon them by public sentiment influence, and public sentiment is growing steadily stronger in favour of prohioilion since the people have seen what it, can accomplish, even under a reasonable enforcement of tlio law. The disposition to more rigidly enforce tho law seems to be increasing "since the pubJicution of i-he first vr;ir\s recurdj anil publie . sentiment is getting stronger as an influence behind the authorities in that direction. (To be continued.)