SALOON IS DEAD

Timaru Herald, Volume CXXV, Issue 17756, 17 September 1927, Page 19

SALOON IS DEAD

IN U.S.A.

Writes Montague Grover (formerly Editor “Sydney Sun”) in Melbourne “Herald.” And, among other things, says: — Sail Eraneiseo, August 10. —Whether the United States repeals tho Eighteenth Amendment, which instituted Prohibition, or leaves it; alone, one Idling is certain —there will never be asaloon selling drinks to tho public again. The greatest supporter of Prohibition is not the Church, nor tho Temperance fanatic. It is tho big business man. It is fivo months since I first landed on American‘territory, and I havo deliberately refrained from writing anything about Prohibition and the Jiquor question until such date an'l-had had time to study it at first hand. After fivo months I think I am qualified to speak. Almost every Australian who has returned to Australia from America tells hs that America is “swimming i'n liquor.” That is tho invariable expression, though most of thoso who give us this information have simply crossed the continent after spending some months in-Europe. -Tlieir knowledge of America. is limited, to a few days in New York, a few views from-the windows of railroad cars, and a rush to catch the boat to Australia. They know considerably' less of this country than tilts movio fan who watches Tom Mix, or Theda Bara, from the back scat ot a Eitzroy picture show. Y'ct they speak of America’s natatorial prowess in the alcohol pool with more confidence than American public men of judicial minds, who havo been studying the question close up ever since Volstead secured the inclusion of the Eighteenth Amendment.

HOW AMERICA “SWIMS.” At Honolulu, a chauffeur told mo ho Could get some “Holy Cow.” This may have been a limb to me. But i said nothing, and ho went no further. At one of the leading hotels at Honolulu one evening an American acquaintance produced-a Hash of “Holy Cow.” I visited a country club near Los Angelos, and - was • ollcrpd unlimited cocktails. I saw a dozen members swallow four or jive each before dinner. I have scon seven drunken men.In the private house of an Australian friend in San Eraneiseo I saw wino served during the evening. That constitutes the whole of my experiences of America swimming in liquor. 'Jin're is liquor in America for those who take the trouble to get it; but what strikes me about Prohibition is that the people who take tho necessary trouble are' only' a fraction of those who consumed it in tho good old days of personal freedom. THE PASSING OF THE SALOON. One fact regarding prohibition which is utterly misunderstood, in. Australia is the position of the saloon. Regarding; American conditions as similar to those in Australia, the .Australian imagines that if the agitation against Prohibition were to succeed, its triumph would mean a return to tho old conditions. . ’>'■ Nothing is.more erroneous. The saloon is doadf ii; can never bo resuscitated. , If file wets should prevail, tho citizen will be permitted to buy liquor and take it huine; but that tho saloon should ever again rear its front in the Americaii si reel is unthinkable to wets and dries alike. I have not seen a working man drunk since I have- been in America.

NO BRAWLING. I don’t know whether Prohibition is responsible, but all the American cities and towns and resorts 1 have visited seem strikingly orderly, as compared with ours. At places like the Yosemitc and Mariposa and Muir Woods — the last within ton miles of San Francisco—you will find panics of girls lulling every Saturday and Sunday without inale escort. People in Australia would hesitate to send their daughters on such excursions. The liquor laws in America, like those in Australia, are a failure, inasmuch as they a'l fail to achieve perfection. The laws against homicide aro similarly a failure. But, regarding that failure of Prohibition, and the success of the liquor interests in securing it, they might well say. “Another such victory and wo. aro undone.” THE FUTURE OF PROHIBITION. The Henrst papers are conducting a vigorous campaign for llio repeal ot Prohibition, and a recent issue of the “Examiner,” printed from New York a propaganda article, in winch the failure ol Prohibition was he'd proved because every man, woman and child in America had consumed last year alcohol valued at twenty-eight cents, or fourteen pence. When I recall that the drink bill of Australia —a sober country as wet countries go —is something like £'o 3s Oil a head, I wondered whether tho failure, of Prohibition has not had an excellent sobering ellect on tho United States. While tho average business man of whom I spoke tells me that it won’t be long before the Volstead business _ is wiped out, the men who have studied Ihe subject—not Prohibition leaders or organisers—for I liav'e not met one -since I landed—-aro firmly of opinion that Prohibition has come to stay, and that the next generation will know not liquor. Tho drinker of to-day is being slowly but. certainly killed by tho class of liquor bo obtains; the moderate drinker will survive as he lias survived in the past. But that class ot man is not going to lot his children drink, whatever he docs himself. The belief of the most thoughtful men is that Prohibition will win.

Then there is another school —a'hardbitten class of men who are lighters by instinct and who are lighting for Prohibition to-day, not particularly because they believe in it as a principle, but because they love . their country and think that the failure to enforce its laws is damaging its prestige at home and abroad. Such a man is General Smoclloy Butler, who has been looming large iu the.public eyo of late. When 1 asked Butler tho chances of the repeal. lie smiled. “AH bunk,” he replied. “You’ve, only got to look at the figures of tlie House of Bepresontatives. There wo have to throw wholesale somersaults to do anything. Those men have been elected on tho ticket, whatever some may say. The moment they vote against Prohibition they’ro out of public life. A lot of people forgot that before Volstead moved, thirtyone out of tho forty-eight states were dry. They’re still dry under State law, •whatever may he done at Washington. •'l-lie wbolo agitation is bunk.” Butler, by the way, was not a teetotaller before Prohibition. NO BETTING ON RACES. Australians who hough at America’s failure to enforce the Prohibition laws may possibly bo surprised to learn that •America, or rather California, lias succeeded m enforcing its anti-gambling laws in relation to horse racing. Australian laws regarding gambling on races aid broken as" frequently as American laws against Prohibition, and few Australians would he optimistic enough to imagine that such laws could [('ally be enforced. But California has ehieved the impossible....