Interview With A Providence Man

Mr. Charles Moore, one of the students in the law department who comes from Rhode Island and is naturally well posted on the workings of prohibition in that state, especially in Providence, where he lived for some years, was interviewed by an Argus reporter the flrstof the week on the workings of prohibition in that state. He said that, "the Rhode Island law made it not only a crime to sell liquor but to keep it. By an amendmeut to the law, eider was included vvith other liquors. Af ter the passage of the prohibition law the saloon keepers in Providence went into other business as a cloak for their own. For instance, many started groceries, selling groceries at cost and making their proflt on liquor, tiius inj uring other grocery traders. In twelve months after ilie prohibition law went into effect, :he number of saloons doubled in Providence. The Providence Journal, which I have just received, says there are now 591 places where liquor is sold n that city or one to every 206 inhabi;ants, while in high Hceii3e Omaha, there is one for every 400 inhabitants. "After prohibition went into effect, the l'all River, Mass. chartered boats giving free rides frotn Providence to Fall River. This hurt the trade of 1'roviJence merchauts. "Providence has a spleudid pólice forcé many spotters were hired, mformera or complainants received under the law half the fines and a state pólice forcé was established to enforce the law. Yet it was found itnpossible to enforce it. ïhey had to fall back on the old uuisance law andconvict saloonkeepers of keeping a nuisance. When convicted, the cases were appealed. There was so rnuch litigation that appeal cases were notbeard under two years.'" When asked What effect prohibition had upon young men, Mr. Moore said, "I knew many young men who were riot drinking men when prohibition was adopted. ïhey formed a social club and are now veterans in drinking. One case in particalar, I remember, of a young man employed at $7 a week in a ■ w r - bT v - - - - box factory, the sole support of Iris mother. He got to f requenting a social club and became a drunkard, nearly breaking Iris mother heart. "■The Rhode Island law offers every facility for conviction- complainants are not put under bonds. spotters are employed on salary and get half of all unes on convictions. Itis almost impossible to get jurys to convict and the luw is a dead letter." "At county fairs men were around with bottles in their pockets, selling drinks wherever there was a crowd. Saloon keepers cou'.d not complain of them as they were in the same boat. Another effect of the prohibition law ÍH to make the liquor of poorer quality as well as to greatly increase the amount to be raised by general taxation."