Omaha daily bee., 1919-02-11
Just AS Much Booze In the
State Now, AS at the Time
Saloons Were Wide Open
Governor McKevie to Lower House.
Governor Reads Special Message to Lower House of
Legislature Advocating for the Passage Of $25 900
Special Fund for Appointment of Efficient Booze
Seuths.

planned to control the traffic by
having 50 capable and honest men
ptarol the places of entry into the
state. He stated that this plan was
Impossible without the additional
appropriation of $4,000
The governor explains that his
plan for blocking bootlegging at its
source is to employ a force Of 40 to
so honest, capable men" to patrol
points of entry to the state, with the
$4,000 appropriation.
In a recent statement. by the gov
ernor, he suggested a state con-
stabulary of 90 men actively patrol
ing the state for bootleggers and
auto thieves, which would be a sub
stitute for the national guard, and
adequate. he said, to quell any civil
disturbance.
His statement follows:
The question has been raised regarding
the need for additional funds to enforce
prohibition, and without attempting to
define the stimulus back OF this campaign
or referring specifically to the origin OF
such agitation, 1 am pleased to assume
the entire responsibility for the recon-
mendation to the finance committee that
$4,000 additional money be appropriated
to be used for law enforcement relative
TO prohibition before April /.
In the light of the amount OF money
that was used by the former admnistra-
ton in connection with the enforcement
Of prohibition this recommendation ap-
law enforcement 1t is an absolute neces-
stty.
1t is not my desire to reflect unfavor-
ably upon the past administration, and
am frank TO say that would have made
no such references had It not been for
the agitation above referred to.
Seek Prevention.
First, let It be understood, that the law
enforcement division under the present
administration Is not a publicity depart
ment have repeatedly said to Chief
Agent Flyers that It is not our purpose
to obtain arrests and convictions for pub
llcity purposes alone nor to anticipate the
things that will be done in this, depart
ment. After we have obtained convic-
lions, It is then quite proper that the facts
should be given not only with emphasis
upon such activities, but with emphasis
upon the fact that we are seeking to pre-
vent Bookkeeping by apprehending boot
leggers principally instead of the small Of
tenders principally OF course, it is our
purpose 10 get all OIIenueFS DuL We are
opposed to the practice which contem-
plates publicity for law enforcement
through combining the efforts Of the de-
principally to apprehending
small offenders. Attention has been call
ed to the amount OF fines that were OBJ.
tanned under the former, administration,
and without desiring to minimize the Inn
portanee Of that item, it should at once
appear to anyone that fines for violations
Of the law are in proportion to the amount
Of booze there Is in the state. II the
booze is kept out of the state quite
there will be no fines. Further
more, 1t should be kept in mind that a
fine OF 500, which may be assessed
against the offender who imports quart,
looks quite as important in q Newspaper
headline as g. fine OF 500 for 100 quartz.
Thus may It be understood how easy II IL
to camouflage law enforcement IL the
mere amount Of fines is to be used az a
determining factor,
tf Much Liquor Found.
Z dc not hesitate to say that in my
opinion there was, at the time when I
took office, almost as much booze IN Ne
hraska as there was when we had open
saloons. The illegal traffic in Il had be-
cqme thoroughly established ana the run
hers were covering, the state in a very
and husinessllke manner, Ger
tain ones who have been most active in
the work have made more
money out Of the traffic than wer ever
made by any legalized effort by saloon
keepers. 1t is quite easy TO- understand
how this condition came about. Hereto-
fore, law enforcement was attempted
through the employment of a very few
men working under the chief agent. 1t
was utterly impossible for them to patrol
the points OF entry to the state, even had
there been the most sincere desir to do
80, and It must be evident to anyone that
the way to prevent bootlegging is to stop
It at the borders Of the state. After the
booze has come into the state and has been
distributed in small quantities among the
people, 1t is then practically impossible to
prohibit the sale or use Of it.
Dangerous Practice.
Bootlegging is more dangerous than the
open saloon. Many communities in Me-
oraska already appreciate this fact From
the number OF complaints / have received,
[ am convinced that through illegal traf-
flc in liquor, some small communities In
Nebraska have been almost demoralized.
Young men who formerly were not accug-
toned to. the use Of booze. were encour-
aged to do SO through clandestine han
ding of It.
We propose TO enforce prohibition by
Bookkeeping and to do this, we
expect to stop the booze runners at the
borders of the state. This means that we
must have force Of no less than 10 or so
honest, capable men who will patrol the
points OF entry to the state. II we are
10 maintain such a force, It will require |
money to do It, and that is why have |
the additional appropriation |
If $4,000.