Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1921-04-01
Time NEEDED
TO CLAMP DRY
LID ON TIGHT
Prohibition Head An
swers Charges of VIC
lation of Law
Present Difficulties Include
Hostile Public Sentiment,
Lack of Cooperation by
States, Boot-Legging and Is
suance of Too Many Dealers
Permits

Washington, March 31-Difficulties
in enforcing national prohibition IN
clude hostile public sentiment, lack
of cooperation by the states. boot
Logging on the borders and issuance
of too many dealers permits accord
ing to John F. Kramer, federal pro-
hibition commissioner.
What he termed as his honest
views" on prohibition were given by
Mr.. Kramer in letter to Senator
Capper of Kansas, and made public
today by the latter. Commenting
on charges that liquor was being sold
openly by 393 New York saloons,
Mr.. Kramer detailed the problems of
the dry officers" and also suggested
remedies.
"In view of all these conditions and
circumstances" said MI. Kramer.
II believe we have made remarkable
progress during the year or more in
which the national prohibition act
has been in existence. We still have
much work to do and will have for
current of history overnight. Any
thing that has fastened itself upon
political, economic and personal his
tory of our country as has the liquor
traffic can not be removed in a day
or year"
Mr.. Kramer said that the Volstead
law itself was sound, that he was not
advocating any radical revision OF
the law by Congress, and that en-
forcement problems largely were adj
ministrative.
/ Too many permits for medical
preparations containing alcohol were
issued originally, Mr.. Kramer said.
These have been reduced and stan
dards of indicating alcoholic pre-
rarations, raised. Permits for manu-
featuring industrial alcohol also are
being curtailed and refused to those
selling illegitimately.
Summing up, Mr.. Kramer said he
believed failures of enforcement dur
ing the past year We're due to the
administration of the law more than
they We're to the law itself" .y-
I'm this respect" he said II am
willing to assume my share of respon-
sibility for these errors. In the be-
ginning we issued entirely too inany
permits. Secondly. we made a mis- take
in placing the standard of medicinal
preparations on too low basis. We
have had trouble also in selecting
a force of agents who We're at all
times loyal. This does not apply to
many, but to some"
Among recommendations made by
the prohibition director to tighten UP
enforcement were: Removal of whis-
ky to a few large and we'll guarded
warehouses; increase of prohibition
agents on the Canadian and Mexican
borders, and enactmentof prohibition
codes by all the states.
To the specific charges that 393 sa-
looms in New York are violating the
law openly, Mr.. Kramer wrote Senator
Capper that there are places in New
York City where liquor is cold more or
less openly, but in none as it was sold
prior to prohibition"
The government, Mr.. Kramer wrote,
has been loathe to interfere with
"home brew activities This, he
said. ito my mind is a fad; an adven-
ttire. Many who have engaged III it
have already ceased and it will, as I
view it, die out from its own results"
The department, Mr.. Kramer added.
also has been uncertain" regarding
the manufacture of cider and fruit
juices in the home. 49,.
THE question of prescribing intoxi-
eating liquors by physicians is one
which has caused us some difficulty.
said Mr.. Kramer. I'VE followed the
policy all along that physicians could
not prescribe malt liquors, but the re-
cent opinion of the attorney general
compels us to change this policy