The Alaska daily empire., 1921-08-30
ENFORCING THE LAW.

There cannot be sides the announcement Of Bone that it shall be his purpose to en- force the prohibition law in Alaska. The Governor of Alaska is charged with seeing that the laws are enforced within his Jurisdiction and prohibition is the law of the land in this Territory It is the duty of the Governor insist upon its enforcement and it is the duty of all officials, Federal and Territorial, to cooperate in law enforcement Further than that, it duty of all citizens to cooperate in every possible with the officials in the performance of their duty in this respect in performing all their duties
 As Governor Bone has said, and newly appointed District Attorney Shoup said, the difficulties in en- forcing prohibition laws in Alaska very many. They have been found to be in other sections of the country. The greatest of these difficulties here elsewhere, is the lack of unanmity in public sent the question. Very serious and sincere ef forts have been put forward to enforce the law in the past but they have proved less futile largely because the fact that uries refuse convict vio lators of the prohibition law unless the evidence is absolutely unacceptable, and they have not always con- wcted when the evidence seemed to be airtght. An examination of the records in the United States Com missioners office at Juneau two ago showed that there acquittals in more than 80 per cent of the in which people charged with vo- lating the prohibition laws. Men have been con vieted of first degree murder crcumstantal evi- dence of character that would result in acqutta in eases involving the violation of the dry laws
 Several times the Customs Office in Alaska has put the question of preventing the importation of
 
 It has been shown that the system of violating the law through bringing contraband liquor into the United States is known, but that 1t is absolutely im possible for the Customs Service in Alaska to stop it unless patrol boats and furnished for that purpose The Customs Service in Alaska has been reduced to such extent that only routine work can be performed with the number of men now the job. Estimates have been made to the number of patrol boats and that would be required in Alaska to do this work However Congress refused tO he tion to Vol stead Act but it failed to allow the Customs Service in the United States the $1,000, 900 additional money that it estimated would be necessary to prevent illicit liquor tafic with foreign countries between January and July 1 and the g., 100000 necessary for the same purpose for the fiscal year beginning July list In this latter estimate was the $20 900 ad- dtiona asked for Alaska.
 However. these difficulties and the lack of unani- mty in public sentiment in support of prohibition forcement are not confined to Alaska. Two years ago Governors were elected in two of principal States because they were opposed to strict enforcement of prohibition. This year the four candidates Re publican nomination for Mayor New York and the Tammany candidate for the Democratic nomination have all announced their opposition to prohibition and declare that they in favor of liberal attitude in the enforcement of the Volsead Act The failure of Congress to appropriate the money here Tered to has been charged the prevalence very pronounced sentiment among many of the members
 Indeed while the situation in Alaska regarding illicit traffic in liquor is probably Governor Bone ana Mr shoup say it is it is probably not worse here than it is in many other sections the country, including the National capital itself.
 But these circumstances do not obviate the duty or all officials to do all lawfully within their power to enforce the prohibition as well as all other laws and they make the duty of the citizens to CO., operate with the officers of the law in that direction none the less binding l