PROHIBITION NO FAILURE

A pat on the back for John R. Messer whose brief letter with the
heading "Prohibition Helped" (Feb. 27) hit the nail smack on the head.

I am 95, so I have experienced conditions before, during and after
Prohibition. Despite the claims of certain self-interest groups,
Prohibition was not the failure they claim it was, and that is exactly
why its opponents fought so hard for repeal. It succeeded in closing
down all the big breweries, distilleries and wineries. It succeeded in
abolishing the nefarious saloons that were a disgrace to every city in
the land. And, despite the proliferation of bootleggers, rum-runners,
moonshiners and speakeasies, it succeeded in greatly reducing the
consumption of alcohol. These are historical facts and cannot be denied.

Since the repeal of Prohibition, the consumption of alcohol has
skyrocketed, along with all of its inevitable and tragic results.

H. R. Johnston, Bradenton