WHAT “WETS” AND “DRYS" THESE DAYS,
ARE TELLING EACH OTHER IN HALLS OF CON
GRESS- ABOUT PROHIBITION AND ENFORCEMENT |
!
Mr. Funk. Mr. Chairman, I yield
10 minutes to the gentleman from
Massachusetts (Mr. Tinkham)\.
Mr. Tinkham. Mri Chairman, IKold
in my hand a copy of a letter which.!.
Believe to be authentic and whiafa I
^Tsh to read. It. is dated Atlanta,
March 8, 1926, and is as follows:
“Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta,*
March 8, 1926. .
'’Hon. W. D. Upshaw,
House ofRepresentatives,
Washington, D. C,
“My Dear Mr. Upshaw:- I* am in
receipt of your telegram of March.3,
requesting that I wire you general
statement concerning ‘improved<coe
ditions in business morality ..and so
briety in Atlanta and Georgiasince
barrooms were banished.’ . Your tele
gram came during my absence rfram
Atlanta, and as. you expressed a .wish
to have the information by noon of
March 3, I thought it useless to tele
graph you ,so am writing instead. .
“When I came to Atlanta 11 years
ago to be with the Federal, reserve
bank 1 found here many saloons that
sold beer exclusively. This appeared
to me to be a very good solution of
the prohibition question, and I waa
very much surprised that within a
short time afterwards the State legis
lated these beer, saloons out of exist
ence. They were well conducted and
no drunkenness or excessive drinking
resulted from these saloons.
“Regarding business morality , and
solbriety in Atlanta.. during these
years, I have-seen very little improve
ment in that respect... I may, say.that
from what I can learn drinking is al
most universal—not only in Atlanta,
but in every town .in Georgia- and
throughout the South.. My observa*
tion is that it is not confined strictly
to the rich and well-to-do, .but. nearly
every familv.has whisky in., their
home. It may.not. be high-priced
Scotch whisky,. Scotch whisky,, bat at
is. a very strong quality of. native
‘corn’ that is produced in great...vol
ume throughout this section of the.
country,
“I have seen statements published
in the Atlanta papers from the. rec
ords of the police court showing .that
arrests for drunkenness had increased
enormously within the. past . few
years. The persons arrested, I .dare
say, were not of the wealthy class. I
merely mention this to prove that,
drinking is not confined to the rich.
“Therefore,, it seems to me that the
eighteenth amendment has been a
very unwise thing, as it has not im
proved the morals of .the country or
caused very little diminution in drink
ing. Anyone can 6eefrom the daily
press that murders, suicides and other
crimes ar :emoro prevalent now .than,
ever before, and the court dockets are
overcrowded' with violators of crim*
inal law. The Federal1 prison which
is located adjacent to Atlanta, is full
to overflowing. Ever ’.since .1 ha*w
been a voter I have heard prohibition
orators proclaim ■ that iff they could
pass a prohibition law it., would’, savse
Cigars
Tobaccos
Candies
Fruits
Soft Drinks
A Place to Meet
Your Friends
Geo. Mutchler
Proprietor
i
the expense of fewer courts, fewer po
licemen, and the jails would lie prac
tidairy empty. Such has not proven
to be the case.
“Besides the facts which I have
stated, the eighteenth amendment has
i developed the ubiquitour bootlegger,
which did not prevail before, when
only...the States had prohibition.
“f : believe that one of the worst
features of the eighteenth amendment
is that, it has created a nation of law
breakers from those in high stations
to low stations, and. many of the Con
gressmen who vote for prohibition,
from accounts that I read in the
press, are breakers of the prohibition
_law themselves. The jurors who- sit
in the courts are, I: understand, vio
lators, and what a travesty it is for
men to- try others for breaking the
laws that they themselves violate.
The whole situation is intolerable,
and it seems to me our legislators
should recognize this fact and make a
change that would save us from the
enormous expense that our Govern
ment is experiencing, and also from a
law that is . undermining the respect
that alb citizens should have for the
law of the land.
“Very respectfully yours,
“M. B. Wellborn.”
I have here also some statistics
contained in the report of the chief of
police of Atlanta, Ga., for the year
ending. December 31, 1924.
State prohibition went into eifect in
Georgia on January T,. 1908. Since
1903 the arrests fbr drunkenness and
disorderly .conduct in Atlanta, accord
ing to the report, have been as fol
lows: .
Drunk
enness
1903:_ 2,734
1904 . 4,876
1904 _ 4.246
1906 . 5,230
1097 6,508
1908 3,741
1909 t._. 2,650
1910 i__ 2,882
1011 . 2,636
1912 U__ 3,021
1913 . 3,138
1914 ._. 2,995
1915 4. 3,514
1916 ...._. 3,329
1917 . 3,268
1918 . 2,196
1919 ... 3,136
1928 . 4,19ft
1921 . 4,491
f922 . 6,555
1923 . 7,003 *
1924 . 7,973 *
*No figures are given for disorderly
conduct for 1923 and 1924.
The population of \ tlanta, includ
ing immediate suburbs,, in 1908 was
139,980, and in 1924, 285,000.. There
Dis
orderly
conduct
9,559
9,404
9,182
11,260
12,486
10,075
8,890
9,681
8,802
9,089
9,286
9,723
9,038
8,736
7,179
8,415
11,578
13,150
13,133
15,185
t
fere the ratio off tin number of ar
rests for- drunkenness to* the popula
tion was 1’ to 51.2'. in 1903 and 1 to *
3517 in 1925.,
Mn.Boylan. Can the gentleman
give tHe Hbuse any information as to
the relative power of this diabolical
corn whisky as compared with the
Scotch whisky in use in other homes?
(Laughter.).
Mr. Tinkham. I can not answer
that, question. I am not an expert on
alcohoh
Mr. La Guardia. I want to say
that those figures the gentleman gave
were kindly loaned to me the other
day and I looked up the percentage of
natives, and it was over 95 per cent
natives.
Mr. McKeown. I would like to ask
the gentleman if the numerous ar
rests by the policemen in the later
days may not have been because they
were sober and could enforce the law
better? (Laughter.)
Mr. Tinkham. I have no knowl
edge of local conditions.
Me. La Guardia. The 7,000 drunks
were not sober.
Mr. Hill of Maryland. Is the House
to ■ understand that that was at At
lanta, Ga.?
Mr. Tinkham. It was.
Mr. Hill of Maryland. Does not the
gentleman think that Georgia should
come back into the Union?
Mr. Tinkham. I admit that Georgia
shouldibe more sober. (Laughter.)
Mr. Funk. Mr. Chairman, I yield
five minutes to the gentleman from
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Maryland (Mr. Linthicum).
Mr. Linthicum. Mr. Chairman, the
strong objection of the people of my
state to the eighteenth amendment
and the Volstead Act is that they feel
it is an encroachment upon the rights
of the States and the liberties of the
people as reserved to them under the
Constitution. It never had been con
templated by the forefathers that an
amendment would be placed in the
Constitution,. and upon that amend
ment would be fostered a law limiting
them in their personal rights and lib-,
erties, a sumptuary law, which largely
interferes with their domestic happi
ness and contentment. For this re a
son the people of my State are op
posed to the child labor amendment,
which is along the same line and upon
which a law as drastic as the Volstead
Act could easily be enacted. We feel
that those in favor of prohibition
have overstepped the lines of discre
tion, that the law and the amendment
has been shown by various documents
and statements and innumerable sta
tistics to be broken down. W one
will deny that there is more drunken
ness in the country today than there
ever has been in its history. The ta
tisties read by the gentleman from
Massachusetts show that even in At
lanta, the home of the great propon
ent of prohibition, Mr. Upshaw, ar
rests for drunkenness and disorder
have increased.
The Congress has pass edbills cre
ating a large number of new Federal
judges, all because the Volstead Act ,
has caused such vast number of ar
rests that the Federal courts are to
day largely engaged in trying liquor
violation cases. Not long ago I read
an article saying that Fort Leaven- :
worth prison was so overcrowded
that the superintendent had to place
cots in the corridors, and cells which
were previously intended for only one'
prisoner now hold two and three.
Vast numbers of bootleggers
the country, making large profit -, and
violating the law often with the con
nivance of-men appointed to si to it -
enforcement. Our once boasted Revr
nue Cutter Service, which some years
ago was amalgamated with the Life
Saving Service, and is now known
the Coast Guard, is being largely ut.l
ized in the enforcement of the Vol
stead Act on the sea, and reduced to
the humility of a patrol service to
prevent the admission >f liquor into
the country. While we usually look
upon the “rum runner- as those
boats desiring to bring liquet into the
country, the truth is tie "rum run
ners” are now largely i gaged in dis
tilling liquors in barns, garages and
cellars throughout the land. The Gov
ernment is releasing i medicinal
purposes millions of gain ns of alco
hol, while the bootleg; are utiliz
ing it by removing a. much of the
poison as possible, th balance of
which is being consunn d by the drink
ers of the land, and a large number
of deaths are occurring throughout
the country as a result of the poison
which is left in Government alcohol
released by the Go rnment, and
and stills, more numeral's than the
old saloons, abound ev ywhere.
Mr. Williamson. Mr diairn an, will
the gentleman yield?
Mr. Linthicum. I can ..a yield, as
I have only a few minute.;, as 1 told
my friend from Georgia
Mr. Chairman. It i therefore evi
dent on every hand that the Volstead
Act has broken down, that its object
has utterly failed, so that rag alone
should those who are .against the Vol
stead Act and those who are in favor
of honest prohibition d vise some
method which will bring us back to
sane legislation and temperate habits.
I have always contended, and still
contend, that if it he necessary we
should regulate the sale of intoxi
cants as they do in Quebec, Canada.
We should ersort to education, be
cause you can not make good citizens
by legislative enac’ merit, but by
teaching them those things which
bring about the desired results. 1
remember in my city at one of the big
midday luncheon clubs, long before
the Volstead Act went into effect, the
bar became so unpopular that it was
finally relegated to the basement. Ed
ucation did it, and education without
this Volstead Act would soon boot
legger, the hip-pocket flask, and the
moonshiner, with their direful results.
B opposed the eighteenth amend
ment when it was first introduced. I
have voted against it at all times. I
am against the Volstead Act, and
voted against it, and predicted that
the situation which now exists would
surely follow their adoption and en
actment. I sincerely hope we shal!
soon retrace our r.teps, get back tc
j State rights, and to- these guaranties
under the Constitution of life, liberty
and the pursuit of happiness.
But He Wasn’t Pleased.
General Hugh Drum said at a din
ner in Washington:
“No soldier really loves war. The
soldier who avs he loves it ought to
be treated like the fisherman.
“This fisherman had had hard luck
all day, but as the afternoon was
waning be landed a two-pound beauty.
“The village idiot, who was passing,
said:
“‘That there fish for sale, mister?’
“ ‘Nit,’ said the fisherman. ‘I'm a
sportsman, not a huckster. 1 fish sole
ly for the pleasure of catching ’em.’
“The village idiot kifkod the big,
flapping fish back into the river.
“ ‘Well,’ he said, ‘ye can have some
more pleasure now ketchin’ that feller
again.’ ’’
It required nearly ten years of pa
tient research and thousands of ex
periments to perfect the tennis ball.
The raw material of the ball consists
of rubber and woodand after it is
finished will stand a gradual compres
sion from 50 to 500 pounds.
Notice to Pay School Tax
To’All Whom This May Concern:
In accord with Chapter 29. Session
Laws of Alaska, 1910, and amendments
thereto, all m he persons between the
ages of twent y one and fifty years, who
are not. “sail"’s in the United States
navy or revenue cutter service, volun
teer firemen, i tuners or insane per
sons,” are required to pay an annual
school tax of live dollars ($5).
This tax is d in and payable after the
PROFESSIONAL
Mrs. Jean McLean
Notary Public
Tokotna, Alaska
Du Rand’s j
Cafe and j
Hotel !
Flat City
and deduct as herein specified within'
first Morula. in the month of April and
shall tie i>aid before tbe first day of
, May. providing you are in the Terri
tory of Alaska mi said first date; if not,
the lax is due within thirty days after
vour arrival in Alaska or within ten
days after written or oral demand is
made upon you by tbe school tax col
lector. Taxes not paid in accordance
with the foregoing requirements shall
become delinquent, and each persou de
! linquent shall be subject to a fine of
two dollars.
All persons, firms and corporations
employing labor in Alaska shall fur
nish to collectors a list of all employes
subject to tax, and employers of labor
as above set out are authorized by pro
visions of said act to deduct amount of
the tax from the wages of each em
ployee who is subject thereto. If any
of such employers shall fail to report
the period designated for payment of
said tax. the sai« employers of labor
shall bo guilty of a misdemeanor and
subject to a fine of from $.10 to $1(10.
All persons subject to, and refusing
or neglecting to pay, said tax. are sub
ject to a tine of $21, or imprisonment in
jail for period of one month: and all
such emolover* of labor as herein set
out, who neglect or refuse to collect
said tax from employees may be pro
ceeded again-' and shall pay the
amount of each individual tax, and a
further penalty of $21 for each such
tax.
Tax receipts will be furnished by the
tax collectors
Dated at Takotoa. Alaska, this 31st
day of May. ID26
.T. II. McLEAN,
Duly authorized and qualified
Alaska Territorial Sclioel Tax
Collector for Tokotna District.
B. & t. Store
McGrath, AUtska
Groceries
Hardware
Miners’ Supplies
of All Kinds
I adies’ Furnishing*
Furs Bougkt and Sold
Moose Skin Mitts and Room
Kins Island Mukluks
Babeesk, or Sled 1.asking
Voigt’s Dog Harass*, ike Terr
Boat
FRESH GARDES SEEDS
A. R. Eldridge
1 ALASKA RIVERS NAVIGATION I
| COMPANY
Operating Light Draught Stea mers
l On the Kuskokwim. *
Capt. Wallace Langley, Manager. t
Fresh Fruits Fresh Vegetables
Plenty of Nuts
Choice Canned Goods Meats
Fresh Garden Seeds