Show WET AND DRY factions fight over statistics 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 ol of statistics distilling industry spokesmen claimed that 1847 1947 brought the first wet gains since repeal prohibition groups countered that the past 12 months produced new victories tor for their campaign to dry up the country by taking one cam community at a time outcome ot of the statistical fight may never be clearly defined because the wets used population figures to back up their claims while the drys dryl counted geographical areas area A net gain of about persons 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 1943 1045 11 said a spokesman ocal local option elections dried up areas in which americans lived in 1948 there was a gain gaan in the total dry population ot of but t this his year the tables were turned and the wet population showed an increase for the first time since 1933 however mrs biro D leigh colvin president of the christian temperance un union ion and laura lind ley research secretary of the Salo onlea league gue were no less vehement in reporting dry successes during 1947 mrs colvin estimated that the number of 0 legally dry areas jumped about during the year as a result of local option elections miss lindley said the anti saloon league had not yet completed insl its surveyor survey ot of liquor election results but added that a preliminary report on 15 states showed a net gain of dry communities the bp opposing posing factions were agreed on on lyone one point that the current year would bring more hard fought foughi battles in states counties town ships and wards on the Question ol of local P prohibition |