The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1914-06-30
Big PRISON PROBLEM
IN NEW DRUG LAW
BOylan Act, Which Goes Into
Effect Tomorrow. Worries
Miss Davis.

The Boylan anu-drug law which goes
lied possession OF habit forming drugs a
misdemeanor. The new law also makes
il a misdemeanor for the Department OF
Correction 10 confne persons arrested for
violation of the act with other prisoners.
As strict enforcement OF the law would
mean many arrests, Commissioner OF Cor
rection Davis is worried over the sltua-
Zion.
Miss Davis wrote to Comptroller Prem
dergast yesterday asking him to hurry I'D
action in the Board of Estimate in MAX
ing provision for the new class OF prison.
ers. The plan now before the board Is
for hospital In the dormitory section
OF the Tombs and a second hospital in
some other part OF the same building
Commissioner Davis suggested that the
city reserve the annex TO the New York
Life Building as an emergency prison
hospital for drug cases pending In the
Court OF Special Sessions
one way to meet the situation while
more hospital accommodations are being
prepared has been suggested TO Mayor
Mitchell by Ernest X. Coulter who has
been Mrs. William X. Vanderbit's per-
sonal agent In the anti-drug campaign.
Mr.. Coulter wrote that II might be pos
colony for inebriates at Warwick. The
State laws OF 1910. under which the
| Board Of lnebriety was established. in
clude drug users in the definition OF
inebriate
Those on whom will fall the burden OF
caring for the prisoners arrested under
the anti-drug law have estimated that by
September there will be at least 500 addl-
tonal prisoners in the workhouse.
Commenting upon the provision OF the
Jaw requiring that these prisoners he
Segregated Miss Davis said yesterday:
segregation Is physically impossible
under the present arrangements"
Miss Davis asked last April for $40
6S5 for a hospital In the Tombs and one
In the penitentiary on Blackwelrs Island
and for improvements In other institu-
tions. She has urged the Comptroller to
give permission for the sale OF sl65. 900
in mortgages held In n fund by the De-
partment Of Correction since the sale of
the old Kings county penitentiary in 1906.
Money for the more urgent improvements,
Miss Davis Says, could be realized from
the sale of some of these mortgages.
The Boyfan act makes II unlawful for
physicians to issue prescriptions FOR
drugs except after a physical examina-
ton and in the treatment OF disease. in
jury or deformity and the prescription
must be made out on the official forms
furnished by the State, The doctor sign
ing the prescription must aHix MS name
In full his office address and of.ce hours
and telephone number and t. Name, age
and address OF the person getting the
prescription, with the date OF Issuance
1t IL unlawful for any person to MI the
| prescription without first verifying its
| authenticity by telephone or otherwise
| or for n person to have drugs In his
| possession without authority.
Criminal prosecutions for drug selling
| number 56S up to date this year. az
| against $50 for the whole OF last year
| A special bulletin issued by the Health
Department yesterday says that there
has been an enormous increase in the
drug habit in New York city in recent
| years.