New-York tribune. [volume], November 02, 1919, Page 2, Image 70

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Balloting on the Great
ndustry
Leading Members of the National Economic League
Dr. Dmiil Starr Jordan
?:rof. Irving Fisher
THAT employees should share
in the profits of industrial
undertakings and be given
an active part in the man?
agement in connection with all
problems affecting their welfare is
the opinion of 85 per cent of the
members of the National Council
of the National Economic. League
as expressed in a recent vote on
twelve questions concerning the
labor problems of the United States.
The incorporation of trade
mions, the maintenance of the
open shop and equal opportunities
for women in industry with equal
? ay for similar work and efficiency
re also favored by the same high
?rcentage.
These questions were formulated
by a special committee of the
Or. Charlea W. FAiot
?-,
?
I league, among the members of
which were Charles W, Eliot, Pres?
ident Emeritus of Harvard Univer?
sity; Irving Fisher, of Yale Uni?
versity; John Hays Hammond, the
I well known mining engineer; Henry
! T. Kendall, president of the Nor?
wood Press; Louis F. Post, Assist
| ant Secretary of Agriculture, and
j Henry R. Seager, of Columbia Uni
; versity.
The first question on the list, "Is
readjustment in industrial relations
i essential to American prosperity?"
was answered in the affirmative by
. 90 per cent of the voters.
"Should tho obligations of em?
ployees engaged in public utilities
1 vital to tho daily functions of so
ciety be different from those of
'employees in private life?"?the
Louis F. Post
-* ,
I specific query receiving the largest
vote?and tho following one,
j "Should there be a Federal tribunal
I to assume jurisdiction in dealing
I with potential and actual strikes?"
were answered favorably by 77 per
cent of tho voters.
About f*5 per cent are recorded
as favoring "the establishment of
public employment offices by the
Federal government," "a national in
dustrial parliament to be made up
of the business and industrial forces
and of organized labor, meetine
jointly as a forum and industrial
body," and "a general acceptai!?
of union recognition."
It was the opinion of 77 per cent
that labor in industry of children
under sixteen years of age should
be abolished.
Jotin Hays Hammond
Their Vote on the Labor Problem
VoU of Ihif
Conned
percentaur.
Results of balloting on a series of questions nrv
swerable by "neu" or "no" drafted under the super?
vision of <? special committee of the National Eco
,"<./; '? /,. aauc :
Vote of the National Council nf thr National f nomi f'agut--* V?
Yen. ?S'o.
90e' lOe' 1. Is readjustment in industrial relations essential to -tin i 3
American prosperity ?
85 I 5 2. Should employees share in the profits of industrial 363 61
undertakings?
61- 3?f> 3. Should there be a general acceptance of uuinn 276 1 33
recognition 'i
78 22 i. Should there he active participation hv employees 315 0.3
or representatives of employees in all problem??,
of management affecting the worker?
90 10 5. Should flic open ?-hop principle prevail in \meri- 380 .39
can industrial life?
86 I 1 6, Should trade unions he incorporated? 333 ."?I
00 34 7. Should public employment offices be established 290 144
by the Federal (?overuinent an?l eo-ordinated
throughout the country'.''
77 23 8. Is there need for a Federal industrial Tribunal to 322 93
assume jurisdiction in dealing with potential and
actual strike??
88 22 9. Should women be given equal opportunities and 384 M
ecpial pay in industry for similar work and effi?
ciency?
77 23 10. Should labor in industry of children under sixteen 338 97
years of age be abolished?
65 35 11. Should there be a National Industrial Parliament 248 132
made up of representatives of the business and
industrial forces and of organized labor, meet
inp jointly as a forum id industrial body?
77 23 L2. Should the obligations of employees engaged in pub- 345 99
lie utilities vital to the daily functions of society
be different from those of employees in private
industry?
Total number of votes cast, 498.
How Enforcement of Prohibition Hits Us ?and Others
j
< ontinued from page one
hers, for the first time since those
memorable two weeks in July.
Not. that the Retail Liquor Deal?
ers' A i ..;' .o, or probably any
other liquor interest, believes that
the situation as it obtained during
the middle of the last week is any?
more than temporary. They
expect through the courts to show
the illegality of the Volstead act and
ha**" been assured that in the near
future they may be doing business
without any pretense of not, doing it.
That will give the liquor dealer the
opportunity which lie wants, which
is, after all, the chance to get out,
fr?'m under.
As a matter of abstract justice,
the liquor dealers feel that when pro?
hibition became a part of our funda?
mental law, as it did by. constitu?
tional amendment, to take effect Jan?
uary 20, 1920, precedent insured
them tolerance and a reasonable
time to dispose of the goods already
on hand and to "save as much from
the wreck as possible."
Profits Dwindle
War time prohibition has knocked
that prospectively profitable inter?
regnum in the head. The dealers
feel they have not had the oppor?
tunity to get out of business on their
f> ', but rather are being kicked out
of it. It is this vital point they are
ready to combat. It is this point
-*. ii ch the President brought out in
1. oiessac-e when he said:
"The subject matter treated in
'v'.s measure deals with two dis?
til t phases of the prohibition
? slation. One part of the (Vol?
stead) act under consideration
seeks to enforce war-time prohibi
The other provides for the
r; forcement which was made
necessary by the adoption of the
constitutional amenilment. T ob
Ject to and cannot approve that
part of this legislation with refer?
ence to war-time prohibition.
"It has to do with the enforce?
ment of an act which was passed
by reason of the enn-rgencies of
the war and whoso objects have
been satisfied in the demobiliza?
tion of the army and navy, and
??whoso repeal I have already sought
at the hands of Congress. Whero
the purposes of particular legis?
lation arising out of war emer?
gency have been satisfied, sound
public j. icy makes clear the
reason and necessity for repeal.
"It will not be difficult for Con?
gress in considering this impor?
tent matter to separate these two
questions and effectively to legis?
late regarding them, making the
proper distinction between tem?
porary causes which arose out of
war-time emergencies and those
i like the constitutional amendment
of prohibition, which is now part
of the fundamental law of the
country,
"In all m<"tters having to do
with the personal habits and cus?
toms of larjre numbers of our peo?
ple we must be certain that the
established processes of legal.
change are followed. Tn no other
way can the salutary object sought
or accomplished by great reforms
i of this character be made satis?
factory and permanent."
It is clear that the sparring which
will be done by the prohibition and
! "anti" forces during the next few
! weeks will pivot about the matter of
whether the liquor dealer is to be
given a chance to get out of busi
I ness in a satisfactory manner--that
| and the matter of what constitutes
? an intoxicating beverage.
It was reported that the liquor
Interests were buoyed up by the
Presidential veto of the Volstead
? act, but the elation was fie? ting.
Thoughtful dealers saw in the over?
riding of the veto?176 to 55 in the
House and C>5 to 20 in the Senate?s
reflection of the country-wide atti?
tude toward the liquor business
which is bigger and more significan!
than the current issues involved.
"That this veto should have beer
defeated in the space of a few
hours shows how solidly the coun
; try is standing behind, prohibitioi
and virtually dooms the liquor busi
ness," saiii a Broadway cafe pro
' prietor Wednesday. "Whateve:
questions are before us now in
volve only the matter of being al
lowed to retire gracefully befon
January Id, but the House and Sen
ate vote means that, if they authen
tically reflect the spirit of th<
| country, the prohibitionists hav
i succeeded beyond their wildes
dreams of success. We have neve
; doubted that so far as we are con
: cerned prohibition can at any tim?
! be enforced under constitutions
.amendment. The dealer now find
? himself in a perplexing situation
' He is charged with closing out hi
j business before the new year an
| yet, because of the war-time proh.i
j bition act ho has thus far been pre
! vented from accomplishing that ac
; under reasonable conditions."
In spite of this the dealer is no
wholly discouraged. He has bee
seeking the "miracle" for the las
' four months and he still believes
; he sees it on the perhaps not too
distant horizon. Should peace be
satisfactorily established or should
. the President declaro demobiliza?
tion accomplished he will still have
his chance to sell out his cellar?
; providing it already is not sold out
. in New York.
At any rate, assuming that there
will be a period of grace some time
between November 1 and January
IG, the liquor interests intend to
make the most of it. It is already
predicted that New Year's will be
celebrated in New York on a scale
that never before has been ap?
proached. Looking back over the
1 last four prohibition months, New
York has approximated a totally
! dry state less than three of the six?
teen weeks. That speaks well for
ehe quality of evasion as practised I
?here. Any one willing to wager |
| that because the city was bone dry
last Wednesday it will be next is j
, a born gambler, no less.
In Boston
OSTON, Nov. 1.?It would ap?
pear from the records that
the advent of prohibition
has been a factor in increasing the
happiness of the family life of this
community.
While the police records, so far
as the more serious crimes are con?
cerned, show but slight difference
in comparison with "wet" years,
certain of the court records show
.marked changes since July 1. The
number of divorce actions, com?
plaints of non-support and cases of
similar domestic nature show a de?
cline that apparently may bo di
. rectly traced.
Probation Officer J. II. Keen, of
: the Roxbury Court, one of the busi?
est courts of the city, has just is?
sued his annual report, which shows
a tremendous decrease in drunken?
ness?which is true of all the courts
?but an increase is seen in certain
cases of a more serious nature. Many
: of these, it is declared, grow out of
unsettled industrial conditions and
the high cost of living, an opinion
held by officials generally.
The poor department of the city,
! as well as the various charitable and
1 welfare organizations, see some
| change in the conditions of poverty,
though they agree it is not marked.
A positive story comes from the
county jails and houses of correc?
tion. The population of these in?
stitutions has dwindled during the
last few months, and dfritations have
begun for the closing of jails In]
many places. The prison population !
of the Bay State has fallen j
more than 50 per cent; so much, in?
deed, that institutions like the great !
! stato farm at Bridgewater, with its ;
hundreds of acres under cultivation,
have suffered the most extreme dif?
ficulty in handling crops.
There is no question but that many j
of the clubs have been hit by the re- ;
J moval of the convivial fluids, but as
more than 60 per cent of the saloons ?
of the city have remained open for
i the serving of 2.7? and other concoc- ?
lions, the citizen who likes the "at?
mosphere" has not had denied him ?
the opportunity of continuing in it. :
The nightly "attendance," however, ?
is admittedly less, and the closing
hour, instead of the proverbial jam, j
now boasts a "thin line" only.
"S. R. Or Business
The theater business here is rec
ord breaking, but leading managers1
do not profess to see the change in ?
the liquor situation as a factor.
Rather do they base the popularity
! of the playhouses on the general
| good times and high wages which-!
have given the peoplo money to
spend.
Contrary to expectation, the
largest soda and Ice cream dis?
pensers are not willing to go on rec?
ord as to what extent the "dry"
r?gime has affected their business,
which is excellent, just as it has been
for the last three, or four years.
These, too, believe that "prosperity"
I is the dominant factor, and few claim
i any particular increase since the
j first of July.
There is no question but that city
! and state departments have saved
i substantial sums. The cost of the
I operation of the House of Correction
I on Deer Island has been cut nearly
33 1-3 per cent. The main prison
will be closed this winter for lack of
? "patronage," and the inmates will
i be quartered in the new section,
: built for housing women prisoners.
In Philadelphia
PHILADELPHIA, Nov. 1.?
War-time prohibition in this
city has caused a remarkable
drop in petty crimes, a decrease of
at least 35 per cent in the number
! of arrests and a considerable lessen?
ing of the number of chronic drunks
sent to wards of hospitals.
The four months or ivre of pro?
hibition have brought these changed
conditions vividly to th? attention
of the police and city oflicials.
j Coupled with this situation are |
tho reports of theatrical managers
and owners of ice cream and soft
drink parlors that their business
has increased enormously in the last
few months as a result of prohibi?
tion. Scores of new soft drink pal?
aces have been opened in the last
few weeks; obi places have been en?
larged to inert the growing trade,
which in many cases has jumped
several hundred per cent.
Loss of revenue to the city de?
rived from liquor lio:'. . 3 when real
prohibition goes into effect m Janu?
ary is not troubling city officials,
who, viewing the results of war?
time prohibition, declare that the
loss will be more than compensated
for by tie.- millions of dollars saved
by the city in hospitals penal insti?
tutions and asylums.
Nearly $2,000,000 in liquor li?
cense revenue has come to the city
treasury annually. It is pre
that in the boot year of prohibition
the saving in tho maintenance of
institutions will be several millions,
Less Police Arrests
Superintendent of Police Robin?
son stated to-day that as soon as
war-time prohibition went into ef?
fect there was an unusual drop in
the number of arrests all over the
city, and that this number has been
going down weekly. In the police
stations of the tenderloin, where
scores of persi ns were brought daily
on charges of various offenses, ihc
cells are virtually empty. Of a S it
urday uiioh1 at one of the tend rloii
stations, vvhei e as 1 igh as i 00 p ir
sons were fornn : '... : to awail
a hearing in the morning befor? tm
magistrate, the number now hai
dwindled.
Dr. Joseph C. Doane, chief rest
dent physician of the Philadelphia
General Hospital, pointed out tin.
while during the four months o
July, August, Sept mber and Octo
ber in lb IT there wer? '.. IOS per
sons admitted to the alcoholic war?
at Blockley, during ihr correspond
ing months of th ? present yeai
since war-time prohibition has bee
m effect, tins number has been re
duced t?> 209 per ions, a sma r 1 im
ber during the f? ur months tha
during any single month in Veil
At the present time th." alcohol!
ward at the hospital is virtually do
sorted.
William A. Patterson, superinter
dent of the House of Correctioi
-aid that since July 1 there has bee
a gradual falling off in the numbe
of prisoners sent there, until ne
there are fewer than one-half th
number of prisoners at the city's
workhouse.
On last Maren 31, Superintendent
Patterson pointed out, there were
872 prisoners at the House of Cor?
rection, of which 671 wen* male ? and
201 females. On June 30, the day
before the war-time' prohibition be?
came effective, there were 578
prisoners there, of which 3o3 were
males and 215 females. *
Figures Tell a Story
There were to-day at the House of
Correction 318 prisoners, of wl ich
177 were males and 14] females.
One year ago there were -42tj prison?
ers, of which 25.1 were males and
L75 females.
Frank A. Cooke, general sup? rin
tendent of county prisons, said that!
prohibition has materially reduced
the number of prisoners sent to the
i ounty prisons, especially the Moya
mensing prison at Tent h and Ree I
; reets.
"We used to have an average of
twenty-five persons committed here
every day on charges of disorderly
conduct before July 1," he said.
"Now we have only two or three dis?
orderly cases a day."
Disorderly condut'l cases, the
superintendent said, were the ?e ii
nearly vwry instance which grew
?ut of drunkenness.
Director Wilmer Kru en of ti e
1 'i part ment of Health and Cl aril
-aid that whil il yet early for
much effect from prohibition to be
noted at i he in ane a sylums and the
home for I ? tidi i I. I here is al?
ready a deer? ase in I be numl -r of
. 7 tes in t he municipal institutions
since July !.
In ?Si. Louis '
T. LOUIS, Oct. 31.---Tins city
liad thi rtj t wo I ; wer . . oi
of them, A nheuser-B . :
claiming to be the largesl I ? ?
:n the w orld, ; wo of them ...
to be among the three largest bi w
eries in America an 1 all .
annual output of 10,000,1 00 : irr?
a year.'vith a grand total profit to
St. Louis from the brewing bu: in s
et at $15,000,000. Prior I \
great general prohibition mov? - *
these breweries had' some 1 B,000
employees. Anheuser-Busch alone!
claimed 6,000 employees. Tin I
ing interests fi ur? ; that 7:.,.I in?
habitants of Si. Louis w? re dii tl;
dependent upon brewing for their
livelihood.
j The brewing industry was para- i
S
mount in St. Louis. Banks, bu " I
ing, railroads, coal min.es, in :' i "
BO per cent of the . ess of Si
Louis is said to have been fii
of the i"'.'.'. eri< -. The -.? ? ? *
brewc t*i< - owni d the banks ai
most prominent busine -; c >rners. I*
: i". n;,-?! ? thing could start un?
less it Lad ' :: of th ? br?
ers.
The St. Louis brewery inter?
led the fight on pr? h il ti -
In a greal statt wide cam]
made even y rs ago they
? ." t?te by 260,000 majority, mo '
i up in the large
to think 1
. :' prohibit on ca i ic it 7'.'" 1 I
Men who were in fav? ?r of pi
? 1 :? for the world deprecat? I it for
St. Lou ? ' ??' acci uni of : :
special 1: terests in the ? ? ?
? 'a 5S.
"I am in fa vor of proh : it ?n
othei ?, but not fi 1
i ouis. This city will be ru
the United States goes dry," vvai
the remark heard from mi
Propi rs were sea: 1 .
Many of them disposed of all hoi :
gs ai : m? ved away. It was gen
0 , 0 ir to 191 . thai Si
Louis was on the backslide.
St. Louis never has been so pros
perous as at present, though it 1
but fair to say ?1 has only nov
fell ? he full weight of pro! bil
1 >ne-l alf the number of f?
os have been serving
b er 0] enly and whisky to I; ??
' hey know or ; hink are "all r
es a : 150 per cent above 19T-?
All but one of ' he large hotels ha.
cl? "? d their bars.
There . - a "real ?.care:';, of hous
and a] ti mts in St. Louis. Ther
is prat tically no ui ent ?
ise .a poverty. The establ ;
of se* eral great indu -? : ii
' -. the ( i. neral Mot ?rs ?;.. :'
gre; * <?. rug c? mcerns, f h
: iron and steel l rad?
making, etc., has entirely take
' any ? '.-. in the labor mark?
. '; t have been left by th
retrenchment of the breweries.
The banks are organizing to buil
h iu es for the expected influx an
to take can- of the overflow at pre
? ot in St. Louis.
Most of the breweries have close
?down entirely for some time, bi
? ht of the former thirty-two ha*?
bi en operating to fair capacit
Most of them have gone or will ;
into the beverage trade.
Police records show a decided d
se h f etty crimes i e to i r k
? ; is was =i*i opi. * *
..*: nd 1 he M nd J
court ? ' .cas a-, amazing *. i c
now dull
i e for mofo*
?ders. 1 he H ireau of Police
iys 11
the last j ear. sir. ??*
pro] t into efl
been '" per cen? ! ? ce many
of b\ i n_s8
tax oi liquor the ????
.,-,, .? 3 for petty offenses
? ? , nost
? . r- -?
?.. . . >,
e of tl 'a
shows arf* ;
? v. here th? ?
ire ] r to 1919.
re is n steady mcref"* In
?* ; m tgazines taken o it ?t
ar but tl e growth is ?Id
to 1 ? - mal. Club attendance hai
off and many of tho I
have gone out of existcnc?.
Othei large social clubs view th? fa
' . th coi cern. There ha.?, teen
a marked increase in the ice cream
?ness. The the*
. iiness has been very good, but
St. I ouis has only two fir**t r?as?
tei - wl ere it had four five jean?
ago.
? .n i o '. eiger hold? srj
terrors for St. Louisana. Pre ertj
rs who were scared by the
three years aro aro now gc-t
I ?:.; higher rents and higher prices
they ever expected. Practicallj
roperty has gone up 30 to St1
per cent regardless of location, and
(n- the first time since Chicago
passed St. Louis in population in the
!o you fail to hear the age-old
question, "What's th?* matter with
St. Louis?"
; ? -? ? brewing town in the
e of the !arg*,?t
iky dis1 ribut ing h ?uses in th?
c ::7 ? ?y, St. Loui - was pa
by the grim specter of proh
N >w *. ; the passing ? f ?W
Jo] e Bari? ycorn with equanimity.
It is but fair to say that the boom
is not attributed to, and is not reallj
attributable t<>, prohibition.
Louis feels that if beer and whislrj
j were being sold at the old price*
business would be still better than
it is. But new industries and more
of the old industries have come to
take the place of the lost breweries,
and St. Loins, the greatest be61
i town in the world, is content