August 1, 1917

Mr. SHIELDS. Then there is no . limitation or provision whatever in the Constitution that prohibits this amendment in the conditional . form proposed? ,

.Mr. CUMMINS . . There are no li m itations. I have always believed, Mr. President-if I may continue to answer-that if . · the matter were ever submitted to the court in a proper way, _, the court would hold that the States must ratify amendments, J under the Constitution as it is, within a reasonable time. What that reasonable time . may be would differ with each case.

Mr. BECKHAM. · Mr. President, it is of course impossible in the limited time. allowed to speak in this debate to discuss at length any of the many features of the important subject now before the Senate. This is an extraordinary occasion in the history of this body. · A vote is soon to be taken upon the question submitting a constitutional amendment providing for nation-wide prohibition, and if this Congress submits this amendment, · then the States of the Union will be given an opportunity of determining whether or no.t it shall become a part of. our organic law. If it is submitted and as many as 36 of the States ratify it, it will then become the law of the land. The occasion is especially remarkable in view of the fact that a considerable majority of the Senators, and probably as many as two-thirds of them, favor the amendment and will . so vote when the...roll is Mr. President, if a dozen or more years ago any man had predicted such an event so soon as this, he would have been considered an idle dreamer, or possibl-y a lunatic. But conditions have changed swiftly in recent years, and the time has come much sooner than most of the friends of prohibition believed when the Senate of the United States seems ready and anxious by a two-thirds vote to submit this question to the States for their ratification.

The rapid and widespread growth in sentiment favorable to prohibition among the people Of this country in recent years is one of the most interesting and remarkable experiences in our history. It has grown in strength not only in our country but throughout the . civilized world. It has not been so many years since that for a man to be called a prohibitionist was an offensive epithet, and meant in many instanc e s at least. po.liticaLostrucism. To-day no man needs to defend himself from such a designation. The opponents of prohibition are on the defensive, and are without argument to uphold their cause. · We see in both Houses of . Congress substantial majoriti e s in favor of nation-wide prohibition; we see at least · one-half of the Stat.es now under proh:bition laws, and we have reason to believe · that the people in many of the other States will adopt it when the opportunity i~ offered them . . Every argument advanced by those opposed to the movement has been met and answered, and the liquor interests of the country to-day stand without a friend that can · present a · si.ngle valid reason to justify their continued existence.

Alcohol used as · a beverage has been unmi s takably and unanswerably stamped by the medical p1 ~ profession, by . other scientists, by the best thought of the age, as a poison. It has been shown by overwhelming evidence that when so used even in moderate quantities it - is a · positive injury to the human system. It weakens the body, it : blurs the mind, it invites disease, and it destroys the · soul of man. It produces more pauperism, more crime, more sorrow than all other causes combined. It is the prolific mother of prisons, jails, insane asylums, ancl · almshouses. · It has no friends left, except those who manu· facture arid sell it and make a profit out of the business. It is a curse against which widows and orphans and sorro\v-stricken people in every community · m our land have . lifted up their prayers and have petitioned their Government to abolish.

No .one · can now . stand a · before . an intelligent audience and defend the existence · . of the saloon. - That evil institution is now recognized as one without a . saving grace, · and as the chief breeding place of human misfortunes and tragedies. That the . . saloon is doomed is a fact now generally admitted, and another generation Will nianret · at the patience and forbearance of this generation in tolerating it so long. No State nor city nor community has abolished the saloons that has not been greatly benefited in every way by doing so. Prohibition is not only a moral but also an economic blessing to any State that adopts it. As a revenue producer the liquor business is worse than a failure. It gives only a small percentageof the large sums it takes from the consumers to the support of Government · and it weakens the taxpaying powers of the people among whom it is tolerated.

If, therefore, Mr. President, the saloon is bad, what good can there be in the distillery or the brewery whose business it is to manufacture supplies for the saloon? If the one is abolished, why should the other remain? It has been estimated that the amount wasted in this country each year for alcoholic drinks amounts to nearly two and · one-half billions of . dollars. Think of what an enormous and inexcusable waste of our national wealth, to say nothing of the infinite harm, that its use inflicts upon the people, No good whatever comes from that staggering expenditure, and . it is all absolute waste. What a tremendous saving of our national wealth can be accomplished I. \ ,. ,;. by stopping it altogether. Let the people of this country have the opportunity in the constitutional way to express their wishes HOW in regard to it. Let this Congress at least respond to this unmistakable demand and give the people a chance through their States to ratify this amendment.

This is not simply a war-time movement. The arguments in favor of · prohibition have b,een. accentuated, not created. by the existence of the present world-wide war. It is a bad policy to waste wealth in time of peace; it is a worse policy, and may be a fatal policy. to waste it in time of war. I should, Mr. President, support this constitutional amendment in time of p~ace. I can do so with even greater earnestness at this time when we are engaged in a titanic war and when all of thE' energies and re ources of · the Nation and the strength of the people should be conserved. I hope to . see this amendment receive · the requi. ite number of votes, both in the Senate and in th~ · House, and that this ses ioll ": of Congress will before 'its adjournment give to the people the opportunity to settle this question according to their wi&hes.

Mr. NORRIS. I ask unanimous consent to print . in the RECORD an article by Prof. Irving Fisher, of Yale University, on the question of consE-rvation of food by prohibition.

The PRESIDING OFFICER, Is there objection? The Chair hears nonE', :mo it is so ordered.

The _ matter referred to is as follows: · How MUCH FOOD CONSERVATION IS POSSIBLE FR O M War-TIME PROHIBI­

' TION A;qD How GREATLY IS IT NEEDED.

(By Irving .. Fisher, professor of political economy, Yale University.)

LIQUOR USES L"P 94,000,000 BUSHELS OF ORAl!'< A YEAR •.

' Grain used by brewers, 1P16. '

[RE-ported by Department of Agriculture, 1917 ; . figures given to the nearest 100,000 bushels.]

Bushels. Barley-----------------------------:..------------- Corn ___ _________________________________________ _ 52, 40t}, 000 Rice---------------------------------------------- 2,400, 000 Total------------------------------------------ 68,400,000

Grain asea by distillers.

[Includes that for indu 'trial alcohol . Internal Revenue report, 1916, figures given to nearest 100,000 bushels.]

Bushels. Com-----------------------------------------------­ 32,100,000 BarleY---------------------------------------------­ 4,500,000 Rye - --------------------------------- . ------------ ----- 3,100,000 Totpl ----------------------:------------------ 39, 700, 000

TotaT grain used by distillers and brewers combi.ned.

[Including that llistilled for industrial alcohol.]

Die:tillers---------------=-----------------------­ 89,700,000 Brewers------------------------ -------------------- G8,400,000 Total-~-~-----------------------------~------ 108,100,000 Negligible amounts of other grains (mostly oats and wheat) are also USf'!l.

Tbe quantity of grain used by the distilleries in the manufacture of industrial alcohol is not exactly known bnt in UHG the total quantity Of di!<tiliPi! spirits for flpnaturing, manufacturing. and !;{'jpntifir• purposes was 87.000,000 gallons, and that the remainder presumably for human consumptiun as alcoholic beverages 162,000,000 gallons. In orn , r words, nlumt "1 third o r tbP total was u~t>d in tu...:tt·i a l l l'. As a much larger proportion of th& alcohol from molasses is used industrially than is thE' case with that from grain. the fraction of the grain so used was probably less · · than onE--third · in other words. the grain used for manufactured. alcoholic beverages was more than two-thirds of the total f 39,700,000 bushels. and therefore more than 26,000,000 bushels.

Total grain U8~d in production or alcoholic beverages.

Bushels. For distilled liquors ---------------------------------- 26 . 000, 000 For beer---------------~~--------------------------- 68,400,000 Total--------------------------------------- 94. 400, 000 These 94,000,000 bushels, consisting mostly of (about) 55,000,000 bushels of barley. at 48 pounds per bushel. and (about) 35,000,000 bushels of corn, rice, and rye, at 56 pounds per bushel, make over 4,600,000,000 pounds of grain.

HOW THIS WASTE COULD Bll SAVED IN BREAD.

This grain could be exported, or better, used to eke out our own bread supply by mixing with wheat flour and thus releasing the equivalent amount of wheat for export.

It is easy - for any cook to mix corn with wheat flour up to 10 per cent. In the Mellon Institute, of Pittsburgh, where bread experiments are being made, mixtures have been successful up to 50 per cent and fairly successful even up to 66 per .cent. Barley can be mixed with wheat flour up to 20 per cent · by any eeok and up to a higher percentage, given the requisite knowledge and skill. M.r. Hoover recE-ntly had in his rooms bread containing 20 per cent barley. which could not be detected by its appearance to the eye or by its taste from the original wheat bread. This will probably be a popUlar form of war bread.

HOW MUCH BREAD COULD BE SAVED.

A pound of grain makes about a pound of bread, for the 25 to 30 per cent of the grain removed by milling is almost exactly replaced in the bread by other ingredJents-milk. water, salt. etc.

Thus alcoholic beverages divert from bread making the equivalent of 4,600,000,000 1-pound loaves of bread per annum, or about 12,500,000 1-pound loaves per day. ,

The cessation of the brewing and di tilling of alcoholic beverages would thus enable us to export these 12.560.000 1 -pound loaves of bread per day. Even if we make a much larger allowance for the industrial alcohol than we have, the figure will exceed 11,000.000 loaves.

FAR DO BREWERS' :A•ID DISTILLERS' GRAINS HELP THE HUMAN FOOD

SUPPLY?

It is true that " ' brewers' grains" and distillers’ grains "-the waste from the production of alcoholic liquors-while they can not be u ed directly for human food, contain food value for cattle. When they are fed to cattle part of their food value can be recovered for human food . in the form o meat or milk.

The brewers claim that 35 per cent of the original grain ts left in the form of brewers' grains. An English statement by Lord Davenport gives the figure in England as 25 per cent. The discrepancy is t>X­ plained by the fact that the brewers' "35 per cent" is by value and not by weight. In either case only a fraction of this is recoverable i;q_ milk and only a very small fraction in meat. · But measuremt nt by weight is very crude. We should measure the results in food units. ‘The food unit is the calorie, which is al o a unit of heating power or energy-giving power.

· As we have just seen, barley after brewing leaves behind about a third of its weight in dried · brewers' grains. As a given weight of these grains possesses only three-fourths the food value of the same weight of barley, 1t follows that only about one-fourth-l e., three-fourths of onethird-of the original valuE' i. left for cattle feed. A more exact calculation gives the result as 28 per cent . . Similarly, corn after distilling leaves behind somewhat le s than a third of Its weight In drif'd distillers' grains. As a givE-n weight of these grains posses es nine-tenths the food value of the same weight of corn, It follows that three-tenths-i. e .. nine-tenths of ODE--third-of the origInal food value is left for cattle feed. This also, when more exactly calculatE-d. works out at 28 per cent. - . When the brewers' and distillers' grains are turned into meat about nine-tenths of the food value is iost in the process. ThE' onE--tenth which is recovered is therefore one-tenth of 28 per cent of the original grain, or less than 3 per cent of the food value in the original barley and corn. If the grains are u ed for milk production a much larger recovery is se('ured-ahout two-thirds or the value of the brewers' and distillers' grains, r. e •. two-thirds of 28 per cent, or about 20 · per cent of the orig· inal food v~llue.

If we count the meat (or milk) thus recovered in terms of equivalent bread the saving from stopping the manufacture of alcoholic beverages would be 3 per cent, or 20 per cent less than 12,500,000 loavesroughly twelve (or ten) mllllon loaves-let us say 11,000,000 a day.

"MILLER'S OFFAL."

13, GOO, 000 . These recoveries however, mu t In their turn be partly offset, for the manufacture of liquor takes away a feed that prE-vents the making of" miller' offal "-amounting usually to about 28 per cent by wE-ight (abroad usually about 40 per C'ent) of the original graln-wnich would be created a.s a by - product if the grain were milled into flour.

These figures for rolLer's offal relate to wheat and may possibly be different for barley or corn. But the net result would . bE' to raise slightly the net wastage figure (ten to twelve million loaves a daY) above obtained. . ·

We conclude that 11,000,000 loaves a day Is a fair estimate of the bread supply we are now drinking up.

It should be ob erved that three-fourths of this food waste ts from brewing. The < ' common idea that the distillers are the more important food wasters is erroneous.

ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGES NOT PROPERLY FOODS.

No account Ls here taken of the food value in beer nor of the calories Bushels. (of little · n· no use In thE' human organism 1 of thE' alcohol in beer and spirits. As these food and beat values can not be expE-nded without at the same time poisoning the human system with alcohol, it is only technically correct to count eve.n the food value of beer as a real part of the food or the Nation, and, according to th e- best physiological authorities, it is probably not even technically correct to count the heat value of alc.-ohol as such.

ARE ll,OOO,OOO LOAVES A D.AY WORT,H COU TING? •

Having secured the tlgurt> 11,000 , 000 loaves as a conservative estimate of the grain waste from alcoholic beverages, we next ask, l:Jow impor· tant to the Nation ts tl.!ls item?

The distillers and brE-wers in full-page advertisements ba ve recently been trying to belittle sue waste a a small percentage of thE' grain crop. although a few years ago they were magnifying their use of grain as an i.mport&nt part of the farmer's market. The grain crop is not the right basis of comparison. yE-t even ln relation to the grain C'rop the waste IS nearly 2 per cent. The grain crop includes feed,; · for horses, cattle, swine, poultry, etc., as well as exports. Prof. Sherman, lri Food Products, points out (p. 259) that about nine-tenths of the corn crop is consumed on the farm, and of the one-tenth which is sold not all is used for human food; also (p. 264) that only about onetwentieth of the oat crop is used by milling industries, including that used in breakfast cereals. Only about one-third of the rye crop is made into flour.

The distillers in 1916 consumed over 1 per cent of the total corn consumption by man and beast in the United States, • 2 per cent of the total barley consumption, 8 per cent of the total rye consumption. The brewers us e <l over 6 per cent of the total rice consumption, 25 per cent of the total barley consumption.

But it must be remembered that the feeds to cattle, swine, and poultry are recovered in human food only to a very s Hght extent, and horse feed is not so recovered at all. From the standpoint of cur national food supply we ought to compare the 11 , 000,000 loaves wasted In alcoholic beverages with the total human food values involved. So measured, the waste of 11,000 , 000 loaves a day Is very appreciable.

A pound loaf of bread contains about 1,250 calories, or about half of the average per capita food requirement; 11,000,000 loaves therefore contain ca.lories equal to the total calories required by 5,500,000 people. Counting our population as 100,000 , 000, an amount equal, at least, to 5 ~ per cent of our entire national human food consumption is wasted in alcoholic beverages.

In terms of total br P. breadstuffs the percentage is still gr e ater. The consumption of bread in th e United State s , including pastry, is estimated e d by experts at fiv e - s ixths of a loaf per capita.

This means that what we wa s te in beer and spirits is 13 per cent of the total breadstuffs we eat.

WHAT 11,0 0 0, 0 00 LOAVES A D A Y ME A ~ IN WAR.

When we turn to the real problem, the war problem, the probl e m of supplying our allies, the 11,000,000 loaves per day, which means 80,000,000 bushels of grain per year, wasted in the production of a.lcoholic beverages is nearly 25 per cent of the total food and feed stuffs exported by the United States in 1916 , that total being 405,000,000 bushels, made up as follows :

Food and teed stuffs e a: exported from · n~ Un i ted States in 1916.

8i~~:yg~~~~1:l;====================================== Oatmeal, bushels (also large export of oat breakfast 18~:i1~:~~~ cereals)----------------------~------------------- 1,750,000 Rice, bushels --------------------------------------­ 1,330,000 Rye, bushels---------------------------------------­ 15,161,090 Rye flour (bushel rye to make)------------------------ 500,000 VVheat--------------------------------------------- 154,049,686 Wheat flour (bushel wheat to make 4?! bushels to barrel)_ 54,705,500 Wheat, bushels (made into bread) (estimat e d from pounds of breadstuffs)---------------------------- - ------- 210,000 Total---------------------------------------- 405,146,662

WOULD FEED THREE A"RMIES.

.Again, 11,000,000 loaves a day is enough to supply the bread needs of the English (3,000,000), French (5,300i000), and Italian (3,400,000) armies counting tlftl bread ration at a little less than 1 pound a day per soldier. It is much more than enough to supply the entire bread relief of Belgium. ·

This bread waste would more than supply a bread ration of 1-pound loaf a day to all the inhabitants of Scotland and Ireland.

It would nearly supply one-third of the bread ration of England and , Wal e s. ·

It would more than supply a pound loaf to every one of the 39,600,000 inhabitants of France every four days.

It would furnish half a pound a day to the 1,250,000 dependent children in Belgium, and a pound loaf to every man of the 240,000 in the United States Army Regulars, the 400,000 National Guard, the 500,000 draft, the 5,300,000 in the French Army, and the 3,000,000 in . the British Army, and then give a loaf to every one of the million families in New York City.

It is true that we could make these same savings out of our large grain crop in some other way. Instead of stopping or reducing beer as follows: and wh-isky making, we could reduce exports to our allies or reduce the production of milk or meat or reduce the number of horses.

But, seriously and solemnly, are these the places at which to economize rather than economizing on a use which is not only necessary but, as we all know, vastly injurious to the Nation?

DOES LIQUOR MAKING REDUCE THE PRICE OE' MlLK?

We may pause here to answer an ingenious objection.

The liquor interests in a circular to Congress (signed by the "Farmers' Feed Co." New York) state that "to eliminate brewers' grains for milch-cattle food will unquestionably lessen milk production 20 per cent ; will unquestionably increase the cost of production to such an ext e nt that the purchase price of a quart of milk, now fixed at 11 cents per quart, will unquestionably force the price to 25 or 30 cents per quart in all great centers of population where a pure milk supply is most required."

These bogies need not frighten us, inasmuch as, in the first place, the D e partment of .Agriculture bus shown how to secure leguminous foods in substitution, and, in the, s e cond place, the brewers' grains could not possibly supply :.:0 per cent, or even one-third of that figure, of the grain food of milch cattle or even a far smaller percentage of their total food.

According to a table in the Agricultural Outlook, October 15, 1914, Farmers' Bulletin 629, about 9 per cent of the corn crop, 5 per cent of the oat crop, and 4 per cent of the barley crop are used for feeding milch cows. These percentages applied to the production of 1916 would indicate that from these three grains alone without counting other cattle feeds, the milch cattle obtained 300 , 000,000 bushels of grain. The entir e amount of brewer s ' grains in that year would, according to the br e.w ers' own claims, not exceed 25,000,000 bushels, or 8 per cent of 300,000,000.

The price of milk may indeed rise from the general war conditions, but the withdrawal of brewers' grains will not be the cause.

One of the chtef dairy companies in the United States, when asked this question 11y our committee replied :

"Probably ttc single factor of withdrawing brewers' grains from the marh et would not affect the price of milk or have any material influence on the price of other cattle feeds."

Pr - Prohibition would tend greatly to lower the cost of living, including the cost of milk, in many different ways, some direct and others, quite as important, indirect. Some of these will be shown in a later statement on national efficiency in relation to alcohol.

- Incidentally, however, we ~a; note that, a~ - we - all - know ) alcoholic beverages now waste both the money and the power to earn money of the poor. Dr. Haven Emerson, health commissioner of New York City, finds, in a recent investigation, that 5 per cent of the income of the poor in New York City is spent on alcoholic beverages. A much larger per cent of earning power is lost thereby. Consequently, out of the saving in both these respects which war-time prohibition would bring, there would be a large net gain for the babies' milk (about which the brewers and distillers are suddenly so solicitous) even if the price of milk should rise several fold.

The economy in buying brewers' and distillers' grains, as compared with other foods, some of which have a great food value per ton, has al s o been exaggerated.

The prices per ton on May 18 , 1917, were as follows : $42.GO ~~~~~r~;a~ains::::::::::::::~::::::::::::::::::::::::::: 43.50 45. 60 ~:~fc~P;~N~~-itule~:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: 48.60 Winter wheat midulings ---------------------------------- 50.10 Oil meal------------------------------------------------- 53.10 53. 10 g~~~l~~d·o~~~~~-~r~~~~===~:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: 61.75 The brewers' and distillers’ grains are not. regard e d as the best cattle f e ed. They need to be supplem e nted by other foods, such as miller's grains, and are not used at all by many of the best dairies. This fact is vouched for by one of the best known of these dairies in a letter to this committee.

GRAIN NOT THE ONLY FOOD WASTED.

Besides the grain used in manufacturing alcoholic beverages there is an enormous quantity of molasses and considerable quantities of grape sugar or maltose as well as glucose or sirup so used.

Reduced to pounds the items for 1916 are as follows : Pounds. Barley, 56,513,235 bushels. 48 pounds per busheL ____ _ 2,712,635,280 Corn, 45,643,063 bushels, 56 pounds per bushel ______ _ 2,556,011,528 Rye, 3,116,612 bushels, 56 pounds per busbeL _______ _ 174,530,272 Grape Rice--------------------------- sugar or maltose ___________________________ - ----------------- _ 141,249,292 54,934,621 Molasses, 152,142,232 gallons, 11 pounds per gallon __ _ 1,673,564,552 Glucose gallon __________________ or sirup, 2,742,894 _ ______________________ gallons, 11 pounds per ‘ oO, 171,394 . 7' 343, 096, 939 These figures include some two - thirds of a billion pounds of grain used in the manufacture of industrial alcohol. Th e figures have been carefully compiled by Prof. T. M. Carver, of Harvarcl University, with others, and reviewed by Prof. Cannon, physiologist of the Harvard Medical School, and others.

It has been objected that a large amount of the molasses is not fit for human consumption. A large amount of it, however, is so used, namely, that from the cane-sugar refineries. This is being used in the present sugar shortage, particularly in England and France. That from the beet-sugar refineries is not good for human consumption, but it is good for stock feed and can also be used for the manufacture of industrial alcohol. In short. all of the seven and one-third billion pounds could be utilized otherwise than by manufacture into alcoholic beverages and almost all of it could be used for human food. Probably the total food value wasted, when the items other than grains are included, is a quarter larger than that of the 11,000,000 loaves.

FOOD WASTE I~ THE LIGHT OF WORLD FAMINE.

This food waste would be considered important in ordinary times ; but in time of war, when there is a great food shortage, the waste is much more serious. The extent of this shortage il'l not yet realized, although Mr. Hoover has published his findings. These findings are based on studies made by him and his staff in the various countries abroad in collaboration with the food ministers of the various countries. The requirements of bread grains for our allies were calculated by him Bread Fodder grain s graim

(bushels ) . (bushels). United Kingdom .................................... .. 225, OOiJ, ()()) 170, OOJ , 00) France ............................................... . 175 , OO'J , OOJ 70 , OOJ, 000

90 , OOJ, OOJ 60, OOJ, OOJ i¥~~jKi.fft:;; ~ ~ ~: ~~~ ~: ~ ~ ~: ~~ :~::: ~ ~ ~ :: ~:: ~ ~ 50 5, , 00 OO ), J, OOJ OOJ I ...........•• 116 , OJJ, OOJ _ 10, OOJ , 000 .... . .... . ...• TotaL ......................................... .. 555, OOJ, ooo 1 41 6, ( )\)), 00) This makes a total grain requirement of nearly a billion bushels 1 of which over half is for human con s umption. Mr. Hoover think s that, while it would be impo&sible for the United States to supply all o f the requirements for grain food for humans and grain fodder for animals, the major part of the burden must fall on us.

Certainly all of the grain we now waste in drink will be needed, and more for with 20,000,000 men withdrawn from production, with grain fields devastated in France, Belgium, Poland, and Serbia, with grain ships destroyed by submarines, and with short crops at home--the shortage in winter wheat having been estimated by our Departm e nt of Agriculture at 189,000,000 bushels-we need food economy as w e have never needed it in this country since the Pilgrim Fathers suff e red in those historic days, the survival of which led to the establishm e nt of Thanksgiving Day. ·

The International Bur e au of Agriculture at Rome has estimated the shortage of the crop s ot 1916, a:; compared with 1915, as follows (1916 shortage relatively to 1915) : P e r cent. Wheat, 1 i ieadlng counh·ies--------------------------------- = 3 lffi~:~:~;i~};~~~~~~ ~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ !~)

The chief reason ' why We' H1 America .ruive not yet appreciated the shortage of: our food supply is that so far we have eked it out by drawing on reserves. We have oee•1 shtn"'htering ::tnilllills and reducing th e ir number, and have drawn • on foods in cold storage so greatly that the decreases in a year up to March 1 are as follows : Cheese (American. (pounds) ------ 29. 3 Eggs (case~. SO dozen>--------------- ---------------------- 86.3 Lard Lamb (pounds)------------ and mutton (pounds) ______ -------------------------------- :_: _____________________ ____ 31.7 31. 1 .E'rozen pork (pounds)------"---- --------------------- -- - ---- 36. 9 The foregoing table i · one of many of great interest on this sUbject given by Profs. Seager .and Chaddock, in Columbia War Paper series 1, No. 6, division of intelligence and publicity, Columbia Univ-ersity, 1917. -- -

As soon as the people of this country realize that world war is threatening world famine no patriotic citizen, whatever his views on other aspects of the alcohol problem, will hesitate to favor war-time prohibition. - - l\!r. McNARY. 1\Ir. President, it is not iny purpose to dis- cuss the pending con titutional · amendment. There has been _ o much said upon the subject that I do not feel I can add anything of value. I wi h to say, however, that I am in favor of the amendment and expect to vote for it.

Oregon i one of the States recently to adopt prohibition. I think it will be refre hing and perhaps intere ting to offer some evidence of the result of prohibition in ' that State.

In 1915 the State ingrafted an amendment upon the constitution known as the partial-prohibition amendment. In 1917 the State adopted what is known as a bone-dry amendment to the constitution . Consequently Oregon i one of the baby prohibition States. I think the structure of society is about the same the country o~e1·, -and what necessarily has proven to be a wholE-some principle of government for the people of Oregon will necessarily, as a social que tion, prove to be an ex-cellent rule of conduct to be applied in the Ea tern, Southern, Middle, or W~ tern States. .

'This question might properly be discu sed from the standpoint of its economic value or it social effect. It has an equal merit as a political que tion, as has been stated so splendidly by the Senator from California [1\!r. JoHNSON]_ It has been facetiously said of Oregon that it is one of the experimental States in the field of legislation. I accept that statement as an honor. We havE' introduced several form of government and have not Irk<tde a single failure. I am in accord with the Senator from the Pacific coa t when he say that it is safe to leave any question with the people.

Within the human minds in our State and along the whole coast there has been clearness of thought -and squarene s -of mind among the people upon all g_ue tions of government coming before them to settle, whether it involved a statutory or a constitutional problem. I have abiding faith in the people, and I believe the con titutiona l amendment should be submitted.

I wish to submit and read a telegram from the governor of otrr State, i\Ir. Withycombe, as to the eiiect of partial prohibition and the effect of bone-dry prohibition, which has obtained in that State since 1915 : SALEl\1, OREG., Jtdy 30, 1!)!'1.

Hon. CHARLES L. McNary, United States Senate, Washington, D. a.:

General effects of prohibition decidedly good; crimes growing less; jails empty· workingmen more prosperous; committed to penitentiary, 1914, 257 ; 1915, 261- -

I might add that that was before Oregon adopted the prohibition amendment to the constitution- 1916, 148

That was after prohibition had been tried three years, n re­ Hon. CHARLES duction of 100 per cent.

Savings deposits "1915 thirty-seven and one-half millions, 1916 fortyfive and one-quarter millions.

• .J AMES WITHYCOMBE.

I have a telegram from Mr. John F. Carroll, editor of the Telegram, one of our leading papers, which I will ask permission to have inserted in the RECORD.

The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection. leave will be granted. The Chair hears no -objection.

The matter referred to is as follows:

PORTLAND, OREG., July 81, 1911.

Senator CHARLES L. McNary · en . Senate alzatnber, Washington, D. a.:

Prohibition has had a remarkable tendency to decrease crime and enhance the moral and economic situation in Oregon. This is strildngly illustrated by statistics for the year 1916. when partial prohibition became effective, allowing 2 quarts of whisky or t-wo dozen quarts of m11It or vinous liquors a person every 28 days, over 19"15. Statistics for 1917, when bone-dry law went into operation, reveal still turtbc>r increase in morality and economic and- a corresponding decrease in crime over 1~J._6. The adoption of _ prohibition has caused depression in only a few lines of business, and this depression is practically confined to Portland. Investigation by the Portland Chamber of Commerce of conditions throughout the State as a result of - prohibition revealed hearty approval by bankers, merchants, shopkeepers, and fathers, with practically no loss of _ building occupancy in the smaller . towns. In the e - towns bankerS and merchants say there Is more money, and collection agencies have virtually been put out of business. lll P.ortland, however. according to the chamber's investi­ ~ation, the immediate results were n(.;; S') beneficial, but business depression has been limited to hotels, taxicab companies, clubs. and Per .cent. kindred enterprises. Prohibition has seriously affected club life in Portland, .members preferring resigning to making up the deficit that foll-owed the closing of the buffets, but Portland ' has always enjoyed being called a home city and club life has never been a predominant feature of the city. On the other .hand, according to the chamber of commerce, all large -. employers of labor are thoroughly in favor of prohibition, even those who before the election {)ppo ed it adoption. It produces efhciency, they a sert, and tends to .avert accidents, especially Monday mornings. The rent situation in Portland was seriou ly affected in certain .Clown-town districts. 'l'bi , however, has almo t been remedied. Whole alers Rlld other merchants declare collections are better and larger quantities of groceries, clothing, shoes, and otlle~ necessities are being purchased than before prohibition was adopt€'1i. The chamber's - investigation . also revealed a huge decrease in dis · ­ eases . Veneral diseases, according to the report of the chamber's committee, have disapp ea red to such an extent that most of the socalled, "spt>cialists “ of the medical profession have left the State. Records in the office of the sheriff of Multnomah County !"bow that there are now confined in the county jail one-half the number of prisoners incarceratPd in 1916. These records also show there is now 1 arrest where there were 20 in the time when Oregon was wet. In ?-915 there were 2, ' 219 commitments to the Multnomah County jail; m 1916 there were 1,482 ; during the first six months of 1917 there were 914. The last number include· many slacker arre ts, pending investigation of registration and other incidents in preparation for war. Police records for Portland show there .. were 91 arre ts for nonsupport in 1915 and 31 in 1916. There were 344 insane commitments in 1915 and 256 ln 1916 . The police sent 40G vagrants to the county jail in 1.915 and 3'2 in 1916. During the month of December, 1915, there wen- 215 prisoners in the county jaiL and in De· cember, 191G. only 62 prisoners were confined in the Jail. Police records also show there were 18,243 arrests in 11 months of 1915, and for the corresponding period of 1916 there were ~0.042 arrests. ~I'll~ police arrested 6,305 person for intoxication in 11 months of 1915 and 1 , 20 persons for that offen e during the corresponding period of 1916. In 1915 the Oregon State penitentiary had a popnlation of 5G~. in 1916 there were 440 persons m . the institution. Police records in .Portland for the first six months -Qf the current year show that there were approximately half as many arrests as were niadc for the corresponding period of 1915. Bank clearings for Portland in 19Hi amounted to $544,446,756 and !n 1916 $649,775,141. Deposits in 1915 amounted to $72,577.031, in 1916 $91.,894,47 . Savings deposits in banks of the State in 1915 amounted to 21,352,228, and in 191G $25.4.45,242. Time deposits in the banks of Oregon for 1915 amounted to $14 835,474, for 1916 17.932,235. The record for the post office of Portland in 1915 was $1,216,571, for 1916 . $1,225,000.

JOHN F. CARROLL.

1\Ir. McNARY. I wish to read another telegram. It is from the president of the Anti-Saloon League:

PORTLAND, OREG., July 80.

Hon. CHARLES L. McNary,

United States Senate, Washington, D. a.:

Oregon public sentiment increasin:dy and overwhelmingly favorable to national prohibition. Have secured data from Mayor Albee-

The mayor of our largest city, Portlandsnowing first year under prohibition reduced Portland's arrests of drunks and vags from 10,116 to 2,790. Bank deposits increased seven millions. One hundred and six less inmates at county poor farm. Strikes far more easily handled. Salvation Army captain estimates city morals improved 90 per cent.

B. LEE PAGET.

I desire permi sion al o to ha \e printed in the RECORD a. telegram from Mr. Baker, president of the Oregon Anti-Saloon League, and also an editorial fr;om the Portland Oregonian, one of the leading and most substantial papers in the West.

The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, leave will be granted. The Chair hears no objection, and it \viii be so ordered.

The matter referred to is as follows [ P011TLA.l\l)J {}REG.J July 28, 1917.

L. McNARY,

United States Senator from Oregon,

Senate Office Building, Washington, D. U.:

Economic conditions: Bank clearings UY15 (with saloons), fitty-four millions; 1916, prohibition, forty-nine millions. Bank depo its 1915, seventy-two millions; 1916, ninety-one millions. Savings depo its 1!>l5, fourteen million; 1916, seventeen million. No decrease in popul a tion caused by prohib i tion ; practically every busin.ess man says prohibition increased bu incss 75 per cent. Old saloon locations snapped up by other business within 30 days. No vacancies now. All classes credit men report business better - ; collections - better. After saloon driven out, hotels, big department stores said busine s better. Laundry business, milk business, . j ewelers , motion pictures and theaters, shoe stores, specialty store , tailor and clothing stores, restaurant!'!; all classes for prohibition. Employers report gain of 25 per cent efficiency of employees, .especially logging camp and .lumber mills.

Social conditions 191 5: Nonsupport case (Portland), 91; 1916, 31. In sa ne commitments 1915, 344; 1916, 256. Va~ants (county ;!aU. Multnomah) 1915, 406; 1916, 32 prisoners. :Multnomah jail, December, 1915, 215 ; December, 1916, · 61. Arrests by Portland police 11 months 1!)15, 18.243 , 11 months 1916, 10 ,042. Intoxication cases, 11 months 1910 (P.ortland), 6,305; 11 months 191~ (Portland), 1,820. Nurr . ber commi.ments Oregon State Penitentiary 1915, 566; 1916, 440. Public officials of Oregon say: Gov. Witbcombe, proving phenomenal success from economic and moral · standpoint. Albee, mayor, one of greatest forward steps ever taken by eity. Alderman, superintendent of schools, school children better clothed, fed, shod; attendance im· proved materially. Walter Evans, district attorney. - crime cut in two. Clark, chief of police, from police sta.nd.point a good thing. Hurlburt, sheriff, moral effects wholly good. Stemm·, superintendent - State In· sane Hospital, decreased number insane -commitments, an~ is bound decrease prevalence of paresis. Langguth, municipal ju.dge, .good thing 1n e-very particular. · BAKER, President Oregon Anti-Saloon League.

{From Portland Oregonian of Dec. 31. 1916.]

DRY ~REGO:s" GROWS.

The recent in-vestigation led into almost every’ avenue of trade; for the purpose of learning just how bUSiness had been affected.

With the exception of those lines dependent directly or partly on the saloon .busine s for their busine s not .a single merchant reported that prohibition had hurt him.

Contrary to expectations the laundry business has not suffered. Laundries did a heavy business 'in washing bartenders' jackets and aprons and supplying towels, but they have made that up by branching into the domestic trade, and a canvass of their book!! shows an increase of about 5 per cent. ·

.All lines of legitimate merchandise have improved. This seems to be particularly true of jewelry stores. Men who formerly spe.n.t their money for drinks now are buying jewelry. One jeweler only a block from the water front opposed prohibition vigorously in 1914. Within a block of · his store were seven saloons. When the 'State went dry he tried to sell out. He could not: An ironical turn of fate placed jewelry stores in two of the rooms vacated by saloons. Then he tr~ to close out. In tlle process he found his business growing. Now he is doing ~0 per cent more business than -a year ago.

MotionJpicture theaters. -vaudeville theaters, and all public amusement houses are doing more business than ever.

Shoe stores also report an improvement, particularly in the part of the west side east of Third Street. Shoe dealers agree that they are selling a greater proportion of children's shoes now than they did a year ago. The assertion that children are better s.hod 1s corroborated by the school authorities. •

The big spedalty stores and big department stores are unanimous in the assertion that prohibition has not hurt their business. All of them are doing more business now than a year ago.

A prominent merchant tailor who worked hard against prohibition two · years ago now asserts that he would work just as hard the other way; that men are now buying better clothes and a greater percentage are paying cash for th~.

Every credit man reports that collections are better under prohibl~ tion. This is particularly true <>f the smaller stores. The big wholesale houses report that their collections :are better.

The passing of the saloon has left no abnormal number of vacant storerooms. In the main business district all but three of the rooms formerly occupied by saloons are now filled with legitimate lines of business. More- than 75 per cent of the old sal'Oon locations were snapped up by other business men within a month after the saloons went out of business. .