PROHIBITION IN AMERICA

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume LXXXI, Issue 18957, 7 March 1924, Page 3

PROHIBITION IN AMERICA

DR. MAYO’S IMPRESSIONS. Dr. Wm. Mayo, of Rochester, who was a guest at the Rotary Club at Auckland on Monday, said that as he had been asked by many Auckland citizens concerning the result of prohibition in America, he would endeavour to answer some of the questions put to him. He related several humorous stories which showed the scarcity of liquor in the States was more real than reports generally indicated, and he said that prohibtion was not the farce it was often made out to be. The fact that liquor was sold for twenty dollars a quart proved that it was very difficult to obtain. American children had benefitted greatly as a restilt of prohibition. They were better dressed and better clothed, and money that was formerly spent in liquor was now used for taking families to cinema entertainments, etc. Prohibition was not for those who could control themselves, but for those who couldn’t, who worked hard and were yet poor, and who were not so intelligent. The question whether State control would be better than prohibition in America was purely a moral one. Government control gave the liquor trade a sort of dignity. "The United States,” said the speaker, "will never submit to its Government going into the liquor business.” Dr. Mayo said that before prohibition was carried, 824 Per cent, of the States was “dry” some of them haying been so for a very long while. With the advent of the late war, the eyes of Americans were opened; and they saw it was the foreign races in the big cities who could not control themselves. Foreigners were a menace to American institutions.

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that foreigners already living in America who have not taken out their final papers for citizenship, be returned to their own countries. In the United States there were supplies of pure water which were used for drinking. In Dr. Mayo’s opinion, every country would rid itself of alcohol if it could get good water. Replying to the question whether U-S.A- will ever let the liquor return, Dr. Mayo said that in the long run the laws regarding prohibition will be enforced.