Show while the religiously inclined point to the great moral regeneration promised by the onward duly an tetta sweep of prohibition m the united states and ahe lovers of law and orby PAUL LEAKE j g manifestations there is a phase of the question that has apparently not been touched upon it la the business side of it modern business with its immense responsibilities up to date industrialism with its laborsaving labor saving machinery and attendant danger to human life the whirlwind time made by our passenger trams and fast freights the space annihilation made possible by the introduction of the turbine engines in the ocean going palaces all call for a high order of men it has become necessary in this day of leen competition to have men with clear heads to transact business the time has come when it is recognized that if a mans brain is befuddled with liquor in hours his rival will take advantage of the occasion to gain ground it has therefore become imperative for business generals to be sober and alert they now demand the same qualities in their men so it is with the railroads they realize their responsibility no engineer under the influence of liquor or even with the odor of it on his breath is allowed to take an engine out of the round house when an engineer does back down to his passenger train if he finds his crew is not absolutely sober he will refuse to pull the throttle an inch and he is upheld in it by the railroad they want no suit for damages nor do they wish the reputation for allowing the lives of passengers to be endangered or sacrificed this is also the case with the motormen and conductors on tho street railway lines and interurban systems in these days of rapid transit the men handling the controllers have to have cool heads and steady nerves it is the same with telegraph operators either in the service of the railroads or in commercial message business the list could be indefinitely lengthened but these illustrations suffice the day has gone by when intoxication in the office factory mill railroad steamboat street car line or any other avenue of business life will be tolerated this was not alone because liquor drinking led to immorality and crime it was cold blooded business the saving of dollars and cents to the business world that it made toward a better citizenship and happier homes was a cheering result but the fundamental cause of the change was pure business |