New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1916-10-18
ABSOLUTE BAN
ON DRUGS SOUGHT
Officials Hold First Meet
ing in Fight Against
the Evil

The most important committee thus
far organized in New York City TO fight
the drug evil, yesterday afternoon held
/ its first meeting in Judge Cornelius F.
| Collinss chambers, in the Criminal
( Courts Building, and formulated com
prehensive plans for it's difficult bat
tie. Present at the meeting were fifty
city, state and Federal officials. mag
istrates, judges, legislators, physicians
( and social workers.
By bills it will draft and hopes 70
get through the Legislature the com
mittee expects 70 effect a much more
rigid control over the use and distribu
ton Of narcotics in New York City.
The work it planned yesterday in
cludes. further:
An investigation into the entire drug
situation in New York City and State.
Recommendation for the means o.
more stringently enforcing existing and
future state and Federal laws.
Formulation Of plans for more ade-
quste and more successful treatment OF
drug users.
Special subcommittee 20 develop
each Of these four detectives will be
announced late this week BY Judge
Collins, chairman OF the central com
mite which at present bears the name
Of the Drug Commute of the State Jus
tees and Magistrates Association.
Drug Evil Growing.
An idea Of the rapidly with which
the drug evil is growing in New YORK
City. despite the Harrison and Boylan
laws. was given by Judge Collins, who
IN outlining the future work OF the
committee TO rs members, said:
THE Harrison and Boylan laws were
steps in the right direction, but they
have thus far utterly failed 10 curb the
drug evil In 1913 only 106 drug eases
came before the Court of Special Ses
Sions. The year following there were
l.4I5 such cases, and IN 1919 there
we're 1903 Thus far in 1918 there
have been 1898 drug cases before Us
II this rate continues, 1916 Will out
strip all previous years.
The narcotic victims, u seems, gam
the bulk Of their supply through un-
scrUpulous physiclans-"no UNDER lhe
existing drug laws, can easily eEade
punishment when they are caugnt
and from shipments that are hrst sent
from this country into Canada tneh
srnuggled back across the border. IL
shoulS be the task Of this committee
20 devise legislation that would make
the smuggling of narcotics back into
the United States impossible and 10
see that there is greater police activity
in discovering the drug distributors
and distribution centres.
"Another grave difficulty that must
be corrected exists in the fact that the
present state law applies only 20 the
care of male drug addicts. Yet during
the past year the Court OF Special Ses-
sions has had 212 female drug users
before u, for whom, due 70 the IN
comprehensive statute, it has been I'M
possible to provide proper treatment
The facts that the existing statutes are
so inadequate and that the INSTITUTIONS
for drug treatment are all so over
crowded make il imperative that this
committee have all Of its constructive
work ACCOMPLISHED when the Legs
lature meets the first Of January.
Tells of Newark supply
Chief Magistrate McAdoo, drawing on
Information he had obtained from drug
users he had committed TO institutions,
told Of a big store in Newark where
narcotics can be bought with no DIFF
fcultv whatever, and Of another drug
selling gang which operates openly on
upper Eighth Avenue, Manhattan.
dOnlv last week 7 asked a woman
addict where she obtained her drugs
he said.
az simply walk along upper Eighth
Avenue she told ne. make the cocaine
users sign by pressing my first niger
beneath my nose, and IN second i
have drug pedlers running toward me
from all directions.
The committee yesterday voted to in
clude in its membership the district
attorneys from the New Jersey and
Connecticut counties adjacent 20 New
York. The next meeting Of the com
mittee will be held November 10 IN the
UfrrIdr-r