The Washington times., 1920-09-25
Ask Return 10 HaIcyon Period
When Warrants and Automa-
les Went Hand In Hand.
sIHECURES RUIN MORALE
SIeuths Say Political Warehouses
Don't Compare With 'Reven-
uers' of Former Days.

not measure up TO the standard ex-
peeted by Congress In stopping the
Illicit trading in whiskey until IL for
mulates a program and sticks to H.
and the Office OF state director Is
taken out of politics.
This is the concensus or opinion
among the employees OF the prohipl-
ton commissioners onice, following
an attack made upon prohibition en-
forcement in this country by Bro ..
Coler, New York commissioner OF
public welfare. Mr.. Coler MADE ms at
tack on the prohibition forces peiore
the International Congress Against
Alcohol Thursday.
II win require a return to the
methods of the old-time revenue
agents TO properly enforce the pro-
hibition act In this country, they said
In these times the revenue agents
were respected and feared. When they
started after an Illicit distiller or any
other eyader of revenue law II was
forexone conclusion that they would
attain their ends. IL was said Inc
reverse is true OF the enforcement
agents today, II is claimed.
The prohibition enforcement agents
with very few exceptions, are worn
out political war horses. who have
been given q Job for the sake of get
ting a job and not for any special
qualifications they have In the liquor
detection line, officials pointed out
Another contention made was that
when the old-time revenue agents
started out after a law-breaker they
went armed with an automatic and
warrant
The present-day prohibition officers
leave with a great deal of publicity,
sometimes accompanied with NOV
ing picture operator.
BLAME STATE DIRECTORS.
To the State directors is laid the
blame for most of the Illicit whiskey
that is now being peddled through
out the country, aided by the system
that has been proved bad in the
prohibition enforcement ofNce. Many
licenses have been given to dealers
who have asked that they be allowed
TO dispense liquor in wholesale guam
titles, without an investigation as to
whether they were proper persons or
whether their business was legally
recognized.
In some cases II has been found that
a licensee to dispense liquor in whole
sale quantities was not known at the
address he gave as his place of BUSH
ness. This fact was not learned, II
was said until after the licensee had
withdrawn all the liquor he was en-
titled to and had also withdrawn his
bond, leaving the Government with
out recourse of any kind.
Under the prohibition law a grad
uated scale of bond is required, &C
cording to the amount of liquor to
4 H. I,r
lowest bond is 81 900 and the highest
is $4,000. Under the 81 900 bond only
a small amount of liquor can be
withdrawn and as the Withdrawals
are increased the bond is increased.
Under the $50, 900 bond the withdraw
ais are unlimited. 1t is believed that
many New York wholesale liquor
dealers who, are operating under the
$50, 900 bond are wholesale bootelg-
gers, and there is not force enough in
the prohibition enforcement section
TO prosecute them. ...
Prohibition Commissioner Kramer,
several months ago admitted that he
did not have a large enough per-
sonnet to properly enforce the prohibi-
tion law. He admitted this fact in
answer to the charges of ME-. Golfer at
the anti-alcohol congress the other
day.
FRONTIER PRICES ALLURING.
The price now being paid for liquor
is an incentive for many to take
chances in dealing in the commodity.
There are many cases where the
LIQUOR has cost the wholesaler less
than SIS gallon. The wholesaler
buys bonded warehouse certificates
from a broker at about $3.50 gallon.
He has to pay government tax OF
1920 a gallon, which is considerably
less than s1.25 a quart He can easily
find a market for IL at 81 a quart
from the retail bootlegger who in
turn makes a handsome profit on It.
This same liquor was bought by the
holders of the bonded warehouse
J certificates at about 90 cents a gallon.
so that every one concerned In the
transaction makes a handsome profit.
PUBLIC INDIFFERENT.
The prohibition enforcement Of
ncials say that their work would be
easier and they could more properly
enforce the law IL they were given
aid by the public. The people. they
say, do not look upon an offender OF
tho prohibition law like they do on
an offender against any other United
states law. III they did and gave the
same amount OF aid, enforcement
problems WOulu De
One of the prohibition enforcement
Agents. who made an enviable reputa-
ton in the old revenue service and
who was transferred to the prohibit
ton enforcement section, compared
tho old-time methods and the new
ones today. to the detriment of the
new ones.
Nowadays" he said, I'VE are al
most daily accosted on tho streets by
friends OF ours who tell us OF the
large amount OF liquor that Is being
sold. When we ask them for tip or
how to get information, they say it's
our Job and not theirs. They COM
plain we are not doing efficient work,
and at the same time refuse to give
us information. The poor, old fellow
who drinks the stun will never tell,
because he knows that ~ his source
OF supply II shut OF he will suffer
along with the bootleggers, who at
the most can only go to Jail, and In
many instances get OF with a slight
nne, which he Is amply able to pay
~ O., I.rAV