Salt Lake Telegram | 1943-03-05 | Page 12 | Back to the Speakeasy?

Back to the Speakeasy I THE attempt to control the admitted evils of excessive drinking by imposing a legal banon ban banon banon on all drinking in fn public places which In effect practically means anywhere except in ones one's home seems ill Especially Is that true at this time Utah today has thousands upon thousands of of residents who have not a home In any real sense of the rho word They live in army camps and posts in hotels rooms dormi dormi- tones tories They simply haven't decent facilities for for private drinking Obviously under such circumstances a legal ban on drinking in public public pub pub- lie lic places Is unenforceable or le-or or at least not enforceable without a degree of police supervision supervision supervision super super- vision and of wholesale arrests which is un un- thinkable All that the adoption of the legal ban will do do is encourage widespread discrimination in enforcement One public establishment willbe will willbe be be untroubled by the restriction while another another an an- another other will not Drinking in private clubs which nevertheless are still public places will probably not be halted which would be discriminatory as between those who can an afford afford afford af af- ford the luxury of private club membership and those who cannot Theoretically the idea is all right The great majority of older Utah residents for various reasons have customarily done their drinking in private They would not be bothered bothered bothered both- both ered by such a law But for many new residents residents resi resi- dents and for such transient residents as soldiers soldiers soldiers sol sol- diers and many construction workers the ban banis banis ls is is almost tantamount to prohibition of the use of of liquor But we know from previous experience hence that such a prohibitory law wont won't stop drinking but rather if it is enforced at all will drive it into speakeasies and dives where it will not only be difficult to enforce this law but bat to enforce other laws as well z j. It is a dangerous program We hope the legislature will very carefully consider the probable results before giving final approval Ito itO to this measure