New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1921-04-17
Officials Lax
In Dry Drive
Face Removal
Governor and Mayor Send
Orders That Custer wiz
Follow Where Officers Are
Negligent in Enforcement
1917 Arrests During Day
Miller Studies Rulings by
Courts Cond e m n ing
Search Without Warrant

Activity in the enforcement of pro
a;bition in New York City increased
sill further yesterday, when orders
vent out from Governor Miller and
Mayor Hylan that any laxity on the
mart of any public official in the en-
forcement of the law would result in
removal from Office.
In communication to district at
torneys throughout the city Governor
xiiler is said to have made it plain that
any officer who appeared to be standing
in the path of enforcement would find
Himself out of job.
Decisions by Magistrate Gavegan
holding that policemen and detectives
sre not empowered to conduct search
without warrant. under the enforce
ment measure, and one by Magistrate
Hoserblatt that detectives were guilty
al diserderiy conduct in making liquor
arrests without warrant. it is said. are
being studied by the Governor. First
Deputy Police Commissioner Leach. in
speaking of the work of enforcement,
aid that it would greatly hamper the
police 10 be forced to make formal ap-
nIicaton for warrants through district
attorneys and said he interpreted the
law to mean policemen could search and
arrest on their own initiative
Liquor law violation arrests last
night were approaching 1000. During
twenty-four hours 1877 arrests had been
made. bringing the total to us since
the state law became effective. Twenty
three new indictments had been re-
turned, making sixty-three in all. More
than 500 cases awaited presentation to
the grand jury. The courts are so
clogged that it may take months to
dispose of cases now ON hand. With
each offender entitled to trial Jury it
would seem that enforcement might
fail of its own weight.
Seizures have cluttered the prop
erty rooms and samples held as evil
dence arc piled hundred high in the
testing laboratory. In twenty-four
hours the police have seized 9 auto
mobiles. truck, 40 barrels, 2,776 bot
ties, 2ll2 kegs, Il cans. 9 demijohns.
ia cases, crooks, II casks and / wine
press.
Commissioner of Plants and Struc
lures Grover A. Whalen, who had been
refused an application by the Board
OF Aldermen for ten additional
chemists ana several clerks and
stenographers, with a salary appropria-
ton of S36,320, took his troubles to the
Mayor yesterday, insisting that his
present force at the testing laboratory
was wofully Inadequate. Mayor
Hylan is said to have assured Whalen
that he would be given all the help
required and that the resolution de-
feated by the Board Of Aldermen
would be passed at a meeting next
Monday. The Mayor said:
There have been threats of the re-
:moval of public officials for non-en-
forcenent of law. 1t is our duty to en-
force the prohibition law as long as it
is on the statute books, and | intend
that it shall be enforced"
AZ q result of the first determined
step at enforcement, Inspector Lahey
predicted yesterday that at least 500
saloons would go out of business May l.,
when many leases expire.
"Bootlegging" was found yesterday
to be rampant and hundreds of blind
pigs or illicit dispensing plants have
sprung up in back rooms of grocery
stores and other places. In these the