Daily press. [volume] (Newport News, Va.) 1896-current, 1909-06-03
New York Police Begin a Crusade
Against Drug.
HIGH TARIFF DUTY ADVOCATED
Mere Cocaine Sold 20 Durg Victims
From One Place In Single Night
Than Drug Store Would Sell Le9iti-
mately in over Year.

NEW YORK. June y.--For the liAt
time in It's history the police depart p
ment of this city has today organized
and begun "a = lecial crusade 10 stamp
out the alarming spread OF the cocaine
habit, which is now recognized TO De
one OF the most serious sources OF
Vice and crime throughout the coun-
iry Every effort is being made 10
enforce the state law against the sale
" excessive quantities of this dug
for the uses of the dope tiend" rather
than the, doctor. Fully IS per cent
of the cocaine that passes through
t.ls city, the police admit, flnds It's
way 20 the victims of the deadly drug
through an underground system a.
traffic which draws prime lially from
foreign sources.
With no duty upon coca leaves.
drcm which Illicit purveyors extract
a rough form Of cocaine for their drug
crazed customers. and only low
tariff imposed upon the quantities OF
the drug that are shipped here Tor
secret distribution throughout the
country il IL recognized that the
chances for controlling the spreading
cocaine curse are today very slim,
even under the most strict state laws
and police surveillance. Urging the
recent recommendation of the Ameri-
ran Health League for "a prohibitcry
tariff internal revenue tax and other
means which will restrict The use OF
cocaine. its substitutes and deriya-
tives. to medical purposes" memb rs
CT the medical profession. welfare
v orkers, clergymen and the leading
tnnlT.ncr TO
congress to safeguard every commu-
nity in the country bv thus shutting
Of the chief source of the Illegal sup
ply of the noxious drug. Though
restrictive laws can be and are be
ing successfully enforced by COMPEL
ing the local manufacturers and
wholesalers to keep records OF their
coacine sales il has been proven. un-
scrupuious retailers to whom the
American houses refuse TO sell ex-
cessive quantities are perfectly free
to obtain a limitless and untracabde
supply from abroad.
Mere cocaine is sold to drug vic
tins from enc Of their supply sta
items in a single night than an ordi-
nary drug store could sell for medi-
cal purposes in year. the police de-
clare. Medical men who are interest
ing themselves in urging to give the
homes of this country this high tariif
protection for the ravases of the drug
assert that the comparatively small
supply of cocaine necessary for pro-
fesicnaI purposes will still be readily
available for their use. With tari-i
Of $3.50 an ounce upon the foreign
cocaine supply and duty OF five
cents on each pound of cocoa leaves
il is proposed To decisively check the
cocaine plague and place 10 firmly uc-
der government control by an in
ternal revenue tax.
No power but that of the people
can now induce the law makers at
Washington To include in the Aldrich-
Payne bill this necessary clause for
the protection Of every American
family. the leaders in THIS movement
declared today. If every philanthropy
&c. medical and charitable organi-
zation through the country will reco-
mend TO its members an immediate
appeal to Senator Lodge who is pre-
sentiDg this matter. or TO their rep
resentatives in congress. it Is believed
these Efforts to c0uba THE source Of
cocaine may succeed.