Evening capital news. (Boise, Idaho) 1901-1927, 1917-09-24
GRAND JURY TO
| INVESTIGATE
.bOOTLECCINC

Governor Alexander
Elko County Joins to Be
Put Out of Business.
Nevada grand jury will investigate
the bootlegging business permitted to
thrive along the Nevada Idaho line in
Elko county through the medium of
which Intoxicating liquors invade Ida
hos dry territory, causing expense and
tireles senergy on the part of Idaho
officials to keep it out. A batch OF
indictments involving the ring leaders
would not surprise Idaho officials. as
the net result of the investigation.
Governor Alexander and Governor
Emmett d. Boyce OF Nevada, are
working CO. operatively in an attempt
to curb the bootlegging traffic. Gov
ernor Alexander has requested that
several saloons along thes Nevada bor-
der which are believed TO be supplying
bootlegsers. be shut down, through 40
tion of the Elko county officials. Gov
ernor Boyle replied that he had taken
the matter UP with the county liquor
board of Elko county and forwards to
ldaho's chief executive copy OF q
letter written by him to that board to-
gether with the information that a
grand jury has been called and charged
| by the presiding Judge to investigate
the bootlegging business.
Recently the federal court for the
! Idaho jurisdiction secured it's first con-
victions under the Reed amendment
to the interstate commerce law, pro-
hibiting the importation of liquor into
dry territory. The liquor involved was
shipped into Idaho by automobile
| trucks from Nevada.
URGES co-oPERATioN.
In his letter to Governor Boyle. Gov
ernor Alexander said in part
you will doubtless remember the
conversation l had with you at Port
land about lending your kind offices
In doing away with one OF two saloons
in the county of Elko, state OF Nevada,
which saloons are near the border of
Idaho and are rendezvous for a few
people who openly violate the law and
transport the liquor so purchased into
the state of Idaho.
\ II am asking you on behalf Of sis
ter state to see whether the county
commissioners of Elko county would
refuse license to the saloons Ill auvs-
ton and thereby relieve US OF a great
| burden. We certainly will be glad to
extend any courtesy to the state of
/ Nevada should the occasion arise to
| assist law enforcement in your state.
PUT DOWN DEMON ALCOHOL.
i 1.-THE reason those saloons are so
Questionable is that they are located
SO close to the Idaho line and for a
great distance In Idaho the country is
so bleak and bare that autopobiles
can travel for a distance without being
detected and sheriffs and deputies are
hardly able to watch the long, tedious
route as most any place in that country
autos can travel and not keep on the
beaten roads, so therefore am making
\ this appeal to you to see IL you could
assist US In law enforcement in this
state by tho abolition of the two sa-
looms close TO our line
I'm these times of turmoil and trou-
BILE. demon alcohol only inflames the
mind of the people and for the up
Mt of mankind we are doing every
thing possible to enforce our prohibit
ton law"
CALLED ATTENTION GRAND JURY
in acknowledging the letter OF ap-
peal from Governor Alexander. Gov
crnor Boyle encioses letter to the
county liquor board of Elko county IN
which he says in part to that body;
This matter. I understand. was re-
Gently called to the attention of the
grand jury of Elko county by Judge
T'aber and according to newspaper re-
ports Judge Taber demanded an inves-
tie alton.
In any event, this Is a serious sit
uation and one which causes great en-
barrassment in maintaining that de-
gree of comfy between sister states
which is so essential to the enforce
ment of the criminal laws.
Some time ago, in response to an
appeal of the same character from the
Honorable simon Bamberger, governor
of Utah, urged your honorable body
to take steps to correct a similar abuse
of possibly more fragrant propositions
which existed at that time on the
boundary line between Elko county
In Nevada, and Toole county, in Utah.
In a recent conversation with Cover
/ nor Bamberber ! was surprised to
learn that the situation there had
shrwn no improvement
WELFARE OF STATE INVOLVED.
Ordinarily in matters of county con-
Germ, the executive department hesi-
tates TO adopt course having the ap-
pearanee OF interference in local self
povernmeat, bat in each Ct the instances
cited above. the matter Is greater ana
involves the welfare Of the state at
large as we'll as places the state in m
unenviable position in the event that
We may be called upon to ask the
favor of cooperation from the execu.
tive states of Idaho or CT the state OF
Utah
An abuse of this character cannot be
treated in passive manner. The Of
ficiais and especially those to whom
the legislature had delegates Abe az
elusive control and responsibility for