The Montgomery advertiser., 1909-06-27
FOR TARIFF ON DOPE
BINGHAM WOULD
STOP COCAINE.
Head of New York Police Force Writes
senator Aldrich Asking
Pr0hibifiye Tariff op linz
portation of Cocaine.

New York, June 26--Declaring that
all the police heads of the country
would be greatly helped II practical
ly prohibtiive tariff was placed on
foreign cocaine and Internal revenue
restrictions on the domestic supply of
the deadly drug. Theodore A. Bingham,
Police Commissioner of this city has
today written Senator Aldrich urging
that Congress give this protection to
all American homes. The spread of the
cocaine craze in New York City has
become widespread and insidious."
General Bingham points out. and
already his department has listed sixty
three drug stores as suspected of ex-
tensive Illicit sales to victims of this
drug. II this national evil is to be
checked, II Is the opinion of the police
head here, congress must at once fol-
low the recommendation of the Ameri-
can Health League and shut off by
tariff tax the secret sources Of sup
ply from abroad bygwhich unprtncipled
dispensers at present able to eyade All
local Jaws and circulate cocaine to
rapidly widening circles of drug fiends.
With this plea from New York's
police head, many similar communica-
lions from local authorities who must
also fight the cocaine curse are being
received today by the chainAlan of the
Senate Finance Committee. Philan.
thropic, medical and charitable or
PLANTATIONS throughout the country arc
Joining the American Health League to
urge that this vital opportunity to
guard the physical and moral welfare
of every. community In the land be not
neglected by their representatives at
Washington. The leaders OF this new
movement are asking every citizen
who would protect his home town from
the drug plague to write to Senator
T ID ~ ta today calling the matter
to the attention of the Senate.
Startling evidence Of the grip which
the cocaine habit has taken upon COM
munities in every section of the con-
tinent has today been presented to
Congress. 1t Is estimated that some
$50. 900 ounces of the powerful drug
were consumed last year in this coun-
try, considerably more than half of
which is known to have gone to meet
the cravings.eof the victims of Its dead
ly habit Though its use is usually
more or less confined to the lower and
more vicious classes, 1t is recori led that
school children have bean approached
and taught to use the drug while dis
tinguished physicians and other pros
fessiona1 men have fallen before Its
insidious powers. In almost every one
of these cases. the men who pander
to the drug victims have been able to
conceal their source of supply by i'm
porting cocaine from London or Ham
burg. 1t is shown. ~
Only a removal of the source of
supply of this drug can cnre Its vic
tins of the. habit medical men de-
clare. and such a result could only be
brought about by the proposed duty of
s1.5O an OUNCE on foreign cocaine.
Backed by.stfie reputable physicians of
the country and the fathers and
mothers who seek to shield their
communities from this subtle drug
habit. the American Health League is
TODAY looking to Congress for this
particular form of real home protec-
ton.