The New York herald. [volume] (New York, N.Y.) 1920-1924, 1920-11-20
BONE DRY CITY
IN MONTH, AIDED
BY COPS, is PLAN
Prosecutor Believes 1000
Men Can DO Task Baf-
fling to 200.
ONLY JAIL SENTENCES
Some [. S., State, County
and Local Officers Urg-
ing New Move.
SWAMI is SCEPTICAL
Saloon Raided Fifth Time in
Short While-1.30 Defiant
Brooklyn Sellers.
SWAMI is sCEPTICAL

New York evaders of the prohibition
law soon may be confronted with an
entirely new deal of cards in the en-
forcement of the Federal amendment.
If the municipal authorities decide
that it falls within the province Of
New York's Police Department to take
an active part in the enforcement of
the Federal statute, and If such a
course seems advisable to Mayor
Hylan and the Police Commissioner. a
plan of attack will be placed in opera
ton by which it is expected this city
within the space Of a month can be
made dry in the exact meaning of the
word.
The plan was evolved at a confer
ence Tuesday. Last night John A.
Leach, Acting Police Commissioner,
received an opinion from Corporation
Counsel O'Brien dealing with the ques-
ton Of the Police Departments power
to administer the Federal law
The plan proposed would make OF
every member of the uniformed and
plain clothes force prohibition enforce
ment agent, thereby increasing the force
of dry agents from a scant 200 to H.
900. IT would call for tie imposition of
jail sentences, and jsi! sentences only,
in the case of convictions obtained un-
der the Federal enactment 1t would
bring together in close cooperation the
Federal authorities and the officers of
the State, county and city In an effort
to accomplish what the formulation of
the plan .acitly admits the Federal au-
thorities working alone have failed TO
accomplish.
New Dry SIeuth Chief Here.
A report from Washington that new
supervising enforcement agent will come
to this district received some substantia-
tion yesterday from Frank l.. Boyd. who
was appointed 10 that office two months
ago to take the place OF James Snevlin.
Mr.. Boyd says his appointment as yet
is merely temporary, and that 1t is pos
sible he will return TO his regular Office
as chief of revenue agents In Washing
ton. He has received no official notifi-
cation of a change, and remarked that
II also was possible that his present tenn
porary appointment would be made per-
manent.
Tuesdays conference originated from
the condition reached in the Federal
courts of this district, where more than
l,200 prohibition cases are pending.
These alone. it is estimated, will take
six months to dispose of. Thousands of
saloons. are known to be openly viola ating
the law.
The conference was held in the Office
of Corporation Counsel O'Brien II was
attended by Acting Police Commissioner
Leach, representatives of the county Dis
trict Attorneys, United States Attorney
Ross of Brooklyn. United States Attor-
ney Caffey anl a representative OF the
State Attorney Generals office.
1t was proposed first that an effort
be made to administer the State pro-
hibition law, which forbids the sale of
liquor without a license and the sale OF
liquor containing more than 2.75 per
cent. OF alcohol, and that the state
courts should thus be brought to bear a
part Of the burden OF enforcing prohibi-
don.
Then 1t was suggested that instead OF
invoking a law the constitutlonality OF
which is open to question, all law en-
forcing agencies In New York should
act together upon the Federal amend
ment and along the lines outlined.
According to information received by
Chief Enforcement Agent Boyd the Po-
lice Department has been instructed to
get list of all saloons In each pre-
cinct and to submit the data to Police
Headquarters.
". y. Officers Not Consulted.
So far the Federal prohibition auS
thorities in this district have not been
called into conference with respect to
the plan. Mr.. Boyd said he knew moth
ing about It. but that he would be only
too glad II such assistance we're to be
rendered to his office. II have only 200
employees to make the district dry" he
said, including my office staff and girl
stcnographers. You can see what / am
up against"
No date has been set for a further
conference. IL was merely understood
by all officials present that they were
ito take the matter under considera-
ton"
District Attorney Swami Is sceptical
concerning the participation OF his Of
fice In such a plan. "!t is my personal
opinion" he said, that the District At
torney of New York county has no juris-
diction to prosecute violations OF a
Federal nature. IL any laws or the
State are broken and evidence OF such
violation reaches this office we will
prosecute OF course. we are anxious TO
give the Governmeht any information
that may reach us relative to VIOLA
tlons OF the Federal law"
When the new Administration takes
office at Albany IL is. expected that.
even II the proposed city campaign fails,
n similar plan, enllsting the State police
and other agencies. will be put into
effect. Gov. -elect Miller announced In
the recent campaign that he would
recommend TO the Legislature the adop-
tlon Of a strict state enforcement luuor
law.
1T was even suggested in some quar-
ters yesterday that the indicated will
Continued on Fourteenth Pdce.