The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1909-06-04
HUNT FOR THE DOPE
POLICE DEPARTMENT OF NEW
YORK AFTER DRUG EVIL.
Authorities Have Begun Special Cru
SADIE to Stamp Out the Alarming
Spread of the Cocaine Habit; 1t
Is Serious Source of Vice and
Crime; American Health League Is
Aggressive in the Matter.

New York, June For the first
time in its territory the police depart
ment of this city has today organized
and begun a special crusade to stamp
out the alarming spread of the CO.
caine habit, which is now recognized
to be one of the most serious sources
of vice and crime throughout the coun-
try. Every effort is being made to
enforce the new state law against the
sale of excessive quantities of this
drug for the uses of the "dope fiend"
rather than the doctor Fully IS per
cent of the cocaine that passes through
this city, the police admit, finds its
way to the victims of the deadly
drug through an underground system
of traffic which draws principally from
foreign sources. 4
Duty on Coca Leaves.
With no duty upon coca leaves, from
which illicit purveyors extract rough
form of cocaine for their drug crazed
customers, and only a low tariff i'm
posed upon the quantities of the drug
that are shipped here for secret dis
trbution throughout the country, it is
recognized that the chances for con-
trolling the spreading cocaine curse are
today very slim, even under the most
strict state laws and police surveillance.
Urging the recent recommendation of
the American Health league for "a pro-
fnr int 70
other means which will restrict the
use of cocaine, its substitutes and de-
rivatives, to medical purposes" mem
bers of the medical profession, welfare
workers, clergymen and the leading
drug houses here are now looking to
congress to safeguard every community
in the country by thus shutting off
this chief source of the illegal supply
of the noxious drug. Though restric-
tive laws can be and are being sue
cessfully enforced by compelling the To-
cal manufacturers and wholesalers to
keep records of their cocaine sales, it
has been proven, INSCRIPTIONS retailers
to whom the American houses refuse
to sell excessive quantities are per-
fectly free to obtain limitless and
untraceable supply from abroad.
Sale to Drug Victims.
More cocaine is sold to drug victims
from one of their supply stations in
a single night than an ordinary drug
store could sell for medicinal purposes
In year, the police declare Medical
men who are interesting themselves i'm
urging congress to give the homes of
this country this high tariff protec-
tion from the ravages of the drug as
sert that the comparatively small sup
ply of cocaine necessary for profess
sional purposes will still be readily
available for their uses. With a tariff
of $l.5O an ounce put upon the for
eign cocaine supply and duty of five
cents on each pound of coca leaves it
lis proposed to decisively check the
, cocaine plague and place it firmly un-
der government control by an internal
| revenue tax
No power but that of the people can
now induce the lawmakers at Wash
ington to include in the Aldrich -Payne
bill this necessary clause for the pro.
lection of every American family, the
leaders in this movement declared to-
day. If every philanthropic, medical
and charitable organization through
out the land will recommend to its
members an immediate appeal to Sen.
ator Lodge, who is presenting this mat
ter, or to their representatives in con
gress, it is believed these efforts tt
combat the curse of cocaine may sue
coed.