Show WET AND DRY F ca actions ct io n s over statistics 0 those irreconcilable enemies the wet and dry forces in the U S fought out the legal liquor question in local option elections in 21 states last year then went at each other hammer and tongs in a battle of statistics distilling industry spokesmen claimed that 1947 brought the first wet gains since repeal aroh groups countered that the past 12 months produced new victories for their campaign to dry up the country by taking one corn com at a time outcome of the statistical fight may never be clearly defined be cause the wets used population fig ures to back up their claims while the drys counted geographical areas A net gain of about per sons in the wet population those living in the areas where sale of hard liquor is legal was reported by the distilled spirits institute it said it has official figures from state governments showing that the steady dry progress of the past 14 years was halted and even reversed in 1947 in 1945 said a spokesman local option elections dried up areas in which americans lived in 1946 there was a gain in the total dry population of but this year the tables were turned and the wet population showed an increase for the first time since 1933 however mrs D leigh colvin president of the women n s christian temperance union and laura lind ley research 1 secretary of the anti saloon league were no less ment in reporting dry successes during 1947 mrs colvin estimated that the number of legally dry areas jumped about during the year as a result of local option elections miss lindley said the anti Antl saloon league had not yet completed its survey of liquor election results but added that a preliminary report on 15 states showed a net gain of dry communities the opposing factions were agreed on only one point that the current year would bring more hard fought battles in states counties town ships and wards on the question ol 01 local prohibition |