The Gisborne Times PUBLISHED DAILY. WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 19, 1927.

Gisborne Times, Volume LXV, Issue 10309, 19 January 1927, Page 4

The Gisborne Times PUBLISHED DAILY. WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 19, 1927.

' A great and costly EXPERIMENT. With the close of. the seventh year of the national effort in the Lnited States to suppress the manufacture, importation and sale of alcoholic liquors a fresh stock-taking of the results is, no doubt, in progress in that great country to-day. As far as the authorities are concerned, they have contented themselves with the publication of a cold of a purely statistical character. They have told the outside world what the endeavor to enforce the Prohibition law is costing in lives and in money, and what is being received, by way of set-off, in the shape of fines. On a financial basis, the State is plainly out of pocket. That, of course, might well be accounted a small matter if it could lie shown that the law made for but little harm, as against a lot of good. On this important point, the rival parties, the “Drys” and the “Wets,” may be expected to continue

to disagree. \\ hat can, at all events, be regarded as significant is that the ' Government anticipates that the enforcement costs during the new year that has been entered upon will again show an appreciable increase. In addition, no secret is made of the fact that the number of people sent to gaol for offences against the Prohibition law is steadily growing. Huge as the task of trying to enforce the law is plainly proving, one cannot help wondering if, after all, the

official statistics tell the whole story of how unpopular the enactment in question would seem to be in the eyes of a large section of the people. It is well-known that corruption aud graft have always been rampant in the United States and one may he excused for feeling that, if the truth could be tokl ; the Prohibition law is being much more widely broken than is indicated even in the stupendous figures given out in relation to of-

fences sheeted home. At this distance, the subject may be viewed quite dispassionately. Everybody appears to realise that it was absolutely necessary in the interests of the American people that the old saloon system should be wiped out. it was,

in short, an absolute disgrace in very

many communities. But nobody is likely to profess to being surprised in that it should be proving so difficult to enforce absolute Prohibition amongst a numerous, polyglot people who earn high wages and prove free spenders—a people who arc noted for the acceptance of the idea of a gay life if a short one—a people who have a passion for socalled freedom. In this Dominion we have, unquestionably, a much more .sober-minded and law abiding people. And, yet, one sees on every hand how a large section delights in breaking laws which are antagonistic to deeprooted habits. Nobody is likely to forget what a farce the anti-shouting law proved during the war. Then, again, it is common knowledge that the law prohibiting book-making in

this country is being flagrantly broken in every city, town and township every day. Despite the complacent attitude of the authorities, too, but little notice would appear to bo taker of the law prohibiting the sending of money out of the Dominion to r, Talts” and for other outside consultations. But to return to the United States and the great experiment that is being conducted there. It would, indeed, be interesting to learn how those bodies which aim at guiding the nation into the paths of right living new view the efFects of the Prohibition law, as it at present stands. A decided opinion on the matter may not be available for some vears co