The Washington times., 1920-08-28
DRY LAWFA|[S
AS ENFORCED
Only SO to IS p. C. Effective,
Expert Finds-State Aid
Badly Needed.

1
Prohibition enforcement in this
country under the eighteenth amend
ment and the Volstead act. after ono
year OF - 'erience, is not more than
50 per AT effective anywhere or
more than 90 per cent. effective In
/ communities where there Is little or
no sympathy with II. says J. Fred
Essary in a Washington dispatch to
the Baltimore Sun.
This is the deliberate judgement.
not OF the enforcement officers alone.
but more particularly of experts who.
to the best OF their ability. are aid
ing the Government In making the
country as dry as the law provides,
and whose observations uncolored By
| official interest.
| Deets Pickett, research SECRETARY OF
the Methodist Episcopal Board Of
| Temperance. one OF the most power
ful OF the prohibition organizations.
| made the statement today that en-
forcement as now applied. II put upon
| a percentage basis, would range from
80 to 85 per cent throughout the
United States. He has just conferred
with Prob b It'll on Commissioner
Kramer.
Pickett is just back from personal
Investigation OF the prohibition situa-
tion on the Pacific coast and In the
l
to certain points in Mexico. whils
away, regarded as the greatest
sources of supply for American boot
leggers.
"Of course we will never get 100 per
cent enforcement of the prohibition
laws" Pickett declared, until we
get the sentiment of the local commu-
mites with us. We have never winked
at that fact. We must bring about the
|
the local and State courts, instead or
lrelying solely upon the Federal courts.
If prohibition is handled by the local
police we will be in a much stronger
position" Pickett added. no doubt
having the Maryland situation In
mind.
"It is impossible for Mr.. Kramer"
the secretary continued. who has
shown considerable ability in his ex-
acting office. to enforce prohibition
throughout the United States with
force of 1900 Federal agents unless
he has the earnest and hearty CO.
operation of the local and State au-
thorities. Getting that cooperation 10
largely a matter OF education. II
comes through the growth OF pop
ularity of prohibition, after II has
been given q trial.
"The greatest benefit now being
reaped from national prohibition 10
not obtained from cutting off the
supply of the confirmed drunkard, be-
cause he will get alcohol somehow,
even though he has to drink hair
tonic or patent medicine to get 1t. 1t
comes now, and will come until the
law against the sale of alcohol is still
further restricted, in preventing
young men and women of the country
from acquiring a taste for liquor.
.sThey will not start in by drinking
, hair tonic or bitters, but thousands
and thousands of them would start on
beer, IL they were able to get It The
wiping out of the old beer saloon has
been of incalculable benefit"
thousands and thousands OF per-
mits for withdrawal Of liquor from
bond for the manufacture OF extracts.
perfumes, and medicines will not be
renewed on Octiber L Not many per-
sons appreciate that all OF the per-
,mits, which allow manufacturers 10
withdraw alcohol from bonded ware
houses. are subject to renewal on Oc-
tober /. 1t will be possible to deny a
hermit to any one OF the thousands
who hold them without even showing
cause for the action Wherever there
lis reason to believe that the alcohol
Withdrawn for a specified purpose has
not been so used. I expect to SEQ tho
application for a renewal OF tho per
NIT denied"
1t is the view of this expert snd OF
J many others, it was learned To-Day
THAT the greatest weakness In enect1ve
enforcement of prohibition today may
be indicated as follows;
THE necessity for putting en-
Iforcement during the past years in1s
the hands of a green force
Inf num-
dreds of prohibition officers on .
political patronage basis.
3-Many "fying squadrons, 70
sponsible only to national headquar-
ters, should have been provided.
Methods should have been de-
vised for preventing forgeries OF
Withdrawal certificates.
5-Patent medicines should be made
actually non-potable. The standard
of medication is now SO low that many
of the concoctions can be drunk as
beverage.
Pickett says that the present
method of appointing local enforce
ment officers on a patronage basis
practically makes II impossible TOR
Kramer to name even his minor as
sistants. On the other hand, Pickett
believes that to apply the civil service
TO these officers would be even worse.
because IL a friend OF the liquor IN
terests received appointment under
the civil service rules charges against
II him would have to be filed and proved
before he could be removed. Ihe
prohibition commissioner should be
allowed to build UP his own organiza-
ton, Pickett said.
!, 1t is known that some OF the re-
forms Just outlined will be urged upon
Congress at the next session, and that
while a fight will be made sooner or
later to liberalize the Volstead act,
another fght will be made TO render
It's provision even more rigid. Also
much larger sum of money VIII be
asked for with which to enlarge the