Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1916-01-21
NOVEL PLAN ADOPTED ~ MASON
CITY PROVES HIGHLY
SUCCESSFUL.
ILLEGAL TRAFFIC IN
LIQUORS At MINIMUM
Formsr slough Town" Transformed
Into Place Where Respectable People
May Live Hsppily-Nsw Ordinance
! Makes IL Misdsmsanor For People to
consrssats il Booze Joints.
pecial to Times-Republican.

Mason City. Jan. 21.--While police
of some cities which were, by repeal
of the mulct law in Iowa, to go dry, arc
running around in circles and crying
ut can't be DONE" the police of Mason
City are saying nothing. but are effec-
lively demonstrating that 1t can be
done" and that stopping Of illegal
traffic in Intoxicating liquors is pos
sible. IL there exists, on the part of
the officials, real desire to stop the
booze business.
Mason City a few years ago had the
Geputa ton, with her large number of
south Of Europe foreigners, for being !.
tough town: and possibly it was
deserved. The district court valendar
was cluttered with murder cases, as
sault cases, and the like. Now, all that
is changed. Gone are the days when
the police anticipated call to Pow
der street every night and the grand
jury worked over time. Except for the
work Of indicting the scattering meh
brought in for alleged bootlegging, the
Cerro Gordo county grand jury is MT
buster than that of any other city.
1t is principally because consuup'
ton of Intoxicating liquors in MasoIi
City has been reduced to minimum.
Half pints are not consumed now
where gallons were. Why? Because
the police are earnestly, diligently, and
Systematically enforcing the laws-aL
the laws of the state of Iowa, and some
more, besides, to bolster up the states
mandates, which the city council has
put in force within the limits Of this
city.
The Methods Used,
The local legislation, and the bar
gam which the city made with 1.-THE
legal departments of the railways and
express companies entering Mason
City have probably done more than
anything else to make it possible to
effectively enforce the prohibitory law.
When the present administration
took charge last spring Mayor 7. A.
Potter appointed Max A. German, a
new man to the police business. but a
man with push and executive ability,
as chief of police. Germans only or
ders were to make the city the most
desirable place in which to live, so
far as freedom from crime and mis-
demeanor and booze were concerned.
German set out to enforce the laws
and while he made good progress, no
soon found that unless some way could
be found of stopping the flood of in
coming shipments Of booze, his work
was a great deal like that Of empty
ing the ocean with tin bucket.
The administration decided to strike
at the source, and as a result search
after search, under warrants. was
made Of the depots ard express offices,
and all liquor consigned to men with
either records or regulations as boot
teggers, was seized.
This was rather annoying to the
railway and express companies, so
their attorneys soon made an agree
Sment with the city whereby they prom
Used to hold In their offices at least
twenty hours before delivery all
liquors received, 50 it could be passed
upon by the police department Of the
city, and that which the police be-
.ieved intended for other than personal
use turned back.
Appoint Inspector.
The next question confronting the
city was to find dependable man VINO
sctuld not be wheedled, coaxed or
coerced, to pass upon these shipments
as they arrived. One was finally
found, and attached to the police de-
partment, responsible only to the chief.
ana the COMMISSIONER III Charge, III Lie
person Of r. D. Mason. Mason had
done much work in the liquor law en-
Forcing line while attached to the
fiduor case squads of the Royal North
west Mounted Police. and later to the
provincial police of the province of
Saskatchewan, Canada, where the
liquor laws are the strictest in the
world.
Mas an example, the whole shipment
received on all railroads and express
companies during the week Jan. to 8,
OF this year, In which the old calendar
Christmas, widely celebrated by the
foreigners, nearly all of whom are
members of the Greek orthodox church.
is no bigger than the shipments OF one
average day would have been two or
three years ago. let alone the ship
ments on q day during the holidays. NJ
In addition, the police are constant
" after the bootleggers.
Transporting Problem.
with curtailing OF shipments into.
the city by rail. "smugglers" known
locally as transporters. had to be con-
tended with by the police. Laws OF
Iowa forbid transportation Of intoxi-
eating liquors, except by persons hav-
liquors are unlawfully or illegally sold,