Perth Amboy evening news. [volume] (Perth Amboy, N.J.) 1903-1959, 1920-11-02
II Indicted By Federal
Grand Jury For Liquor
Violations In The State
Judge ReIstab in Receiving the Presentmen Compliments
Federal Jurymen for Action to Enforce the Prohibition
laW--U. S. District Attorney Geran, of MataWan Also
Played Part in Important Work.

TRENTON. Nov. 2-Completing
its work for the September term the
federal grand jury has presented ~
indictments in the United States Dis
trict Court here before Judge Rells-
tab charging over 100 defendants
with violations of the Volstead pro-
hibition enforcement act. The pre-
sentiment was made on behalf of the
grand jury by its foreman, Harvey
NJ. Voorhees,, of this city, and in re-
ceiving 1t Judge Rellstab, who. at the
opening of the term called the atten-
ton of the jurors to what he describ-
ed as open and flagrant violations in
the nature of a conspiracy to circum-
vent the operation of the act, ex-
pressed his thanks to the members
for their services and dismissed them.
1t Is understood that practically all
the indictments are against alleged
violators of the prohibition laws in
Hudson county.
Judge Rellstab in receiving the
presentment recommended to the
members of the grand jury that up
on returning to their respective
communities they form the nucleus
for the establishment of public SEN
timent for the enforcement of the
Volstead act, and pointed out that
while they had done their full duty
as members of the jury in considering
the cases of law violations presented
to them by the United States District
Attorney Geran, still they had a re-
sponsibility in their capacities as pri-
vate citizens to continue insisting up
'on the enforcement of the law.
The grand jury was further advis-
I'd by the court that its work at the
term just ended could be regarded as
that of pioneer grand jury insofar
as its deliberations on the prohibi-
tion violations were concerned, as
the matter will always be one for the
consideration of succeeding bodies
of the same character.
A feature of the presentment is
the declaration that in nine months
in this state alone permits for over
100000 gallons for purposes permit
ted under the enforcement law have
been issued. On this subject the
grand jury says:
"A primary mistake in connection
with the administration of the Vol
stead act was in the issuance of per-
mits. Our investigation satisfies us
that either proper examination was
not made or else there was wilful
negligence in the issuance of many of
these permits, for we in our inquiry
have learned that some of the permit
holders were men not only without
standing in the community in which
they lived. but possessed such repu-
tations as would justify one in q con-
clusion that they were not the prop
er parties to enjoy either the privi-
lege or responsibility of being con-
nected with the sale and distribution
of liquors. Nearly all of these per
mits were issued before the present
federal director assumed office, and
our information is that no additional
permits have been issued in months.
and no more will be issued during
the current year.
I'm nine months for this state
alone, permits for over eight hun
dred thousand gallons have been
granted, an amount in itself sufficient
to have been notice to the authorities
that it could not be used for purposes
limited by law. 1t is folly to legally
permit that amount of liquor to be
released from bond. and then, with
force of a few men. indeed many
men, to supervise it's legal distribu-
ton. A condition was created which
attracted the wit and ingenuity of
the unscrupulous to defeat the law
"The price of liquor in the last
months has represented not so much
the cost of it as the wit and risk of
those who dealt in it. All permits
now outstanding expire December 81
of this year and we vigorously rec
ommend and urge that necessity re-
quires the re-issuance in 1921 of
verv few. not more than five per cent