The Morning Tulsa daily world. [volume] (Tulsa, Okla.) 1919-1927, 1921-03-06
ANXIOUS DAYS
FOR PIE HUNTER

b' exaggerated The law Na II
stands has hcen Interpreted by rW-
| ings ana cdicts from the prohibition
commissioner not an consistent and
what skilled politician could DO
! 10y neNiuE or uEhtcuwg enforce.
/ mont quite within thr law, Is
enough TO- make tho mouth ~ any
! boss wst"r
n is mo- part OF tho strategy of Tho
Harding administration TO have Son.
htor houroso conduct its politics.
That function is reserved for Harry
NJ. boughcrly who has nurscd tho
political fortunes for the now prcsl-
dent from his advent into public life
So foe the proposed transfer " the
prohibition enforcement tn the at
torucy general ana away from tho
secretary OF tho treasury Ia yisioued
u dcft effort 10 prevent Senator PEN
rose from dominating the whole or
paui2atiun, and at the same time TO
,in pauEhcrty whose fame has been
local 90 ohio. up To- the stature OF
national boss
Prohibition Big Figure.
In the prospective battle for patr-
ronaRc control It would seem that
Postmaster General Win H. Hays
VIII limo up with penrosc Hays
NNI FhhtI W NllN NhNlNuhl tllAlI nun
ship for cabinet portfolio does nos
mean that he Will give up any pO-
lttionl power he can hold on 20. The
linson between peurosc and Hays is
indicated by the war risk insurance
bill. on which ponrose got q favor
able report Just before congress- ad-
iourncd. This bin creates II region
al branches NJ the war risk in-
surnncc institution. appror- iltes
100000 and In the language OF the
measure:
Under such rules AS the socro-
taty OF the treasury and the post
master general may prescribe, the
postmaster general N hereby Au-
thoriZcd TO receive the war rlsa in
suranCc premiums and act for and
turn over 10 the secretary ~ tho
treasury the money no received, and
also he is authorized to receive and
transmit to the bureau OF war risk
insurance"
Fourteen regional offi1ss mean AL
rallying points from Shich the or
ganiZation can keep In touch with
every member OF tho American cX-
pcditiorary forces, Trust your old
friend Ponroso to appreciate ana
improve such an opportunity.
The transfer Of the prohibition
business may be a bloW To him, The
proponents OF tho measure sav ihoy
have President Harding's sanction
FOR II. though congress has refused
the plea Of every secretary of the
treasury and internal revenue COM
missioner since prohibition went
Into effect to have that very thing
done.
But oven without the boog, hunt
ors tho treasury affords tho biggost
political opportunity there ~. This
In to be a business administntion,
ana the man who rules income aud
corporation taxes obviously has a
vantage point more effective than
he postmaster general, 70 roxamplc.
IN tho customs division OF the rey.
Nnue office there are more than
1000 appointed officers, which with
Tho addition of the clerks. account
"ntS messengers, etc, will easily
toublc.
Nearly Absolute Power
on the other hand the huradl over
which Daugherty IL expected 10 OBJ
Tain domain has approximately
5000 directors, agents and inspect
nrs, II IL not realized how great
power they WELD Tho prohibition
enforcement officer is, under the
law. the Onis officer against whom |
nm injunction cannot be brought |
Tho effect OF this was typified by
the recent instance OF the seizure ~ |
great brewery, now engaged In |
the manufacture of near-beer. and |
the imposition OF n huge penalty |
became the prohibition enforcement !
sleuths found 3hsper cent beer in |
its bottles under its labels.
The brewers contendcd that the |
hotties had been refilled outside and |
their labels had been counterfeited: |
that not only had they never let |
p bottle Of real beer go out, hut |
they had never supplied the district |
whore the real beer was found with |
80 much as a bottle Of their near
beer product
There was no way they could get |
into court with their defense; no
way they could continue the opera
ton OF their legitimate business
while the issue was being deter
mined. and except by the grace OF
the prohibition bureau, which
granted them hearing. they would
be out OF business forever on the
say OF $4,000 a year prohibition
agent. As II is, the fate OF S2,-
10000 enterprise rests on the dcciS-
lon Of the bureau without the nee
essity OF review by any court
This Is merely one indication of
the possible influence Of the bureau
which will probably pass into Mr.
hands.
The probably In that sentence
is due 10 the fact that the anti.
saloon league has not yet spoken on
tho question. Tho leagues chiefs
are pretty well satisfied with the
present state OF affairs Tney are
going TO hold a session shortly 10
decide II 1t Is a good thing from
heir point ~ view TO let tho the de-
Jartment uf justice have tho prohi-
pitiOu business. n they decide
against II ana the effort "a ma 1e
o ovorrulc them, Wayne B
rhiof counsel for the
oague, promises 10 make tho 'ur
ny.
President Harding never was en-
husiistio about having Mellon H.
he cabinet. lIo first wanted cGorEa
VI. Reynolds but some way ne got
ihOOed away, Then no decided On
Charles G.. Dawes, another chi
'8gOan but PcnrGs" came forward
with Mellon ana Dawes Whq dropped.