Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1921-11-05
MERGERS CHARGES
DENIED BY BOARD

AASNA o. I1AeAS Il lbAIOl1 SOuAAly AAlN
''wettest' in the state and that the
county police refuse to cooperate
with the federal authorities in the
suppression of the liquor traffic
made Wednesday afternoon to the
Fulton county commissioners by
Jesse Mercer, of the federal prohibi-
ton enforcement department, were
hotly denied by the commissioners
collectively and individually.
When the charge was made by Mr..
Mercer that Fulton county led all
the counties in Georgia in the
amount of liquor consumed on a per
capita basis, Paul Etheridge, chair
man of the board, interrupted the
speaker and told him that he would
not believe the charge on his bare
statement.
81 don't think you have any au-
thority for that statement, Mr.. Mer-
GER" Mr.. Etheridge said. Il have
lived in Fulton county longer than
YOU have and ] know that what you
saw is not true. / cannot believe
the charge on your bare statement.
"I agree with Commissioner Ethe-
ridge" Oscar Mills said. "Ot course
a lot if liquor is consumed IN TINS
county due to the fact that we nave
a lot of people here. However, i
saw more thoroughbred 'drunks
while in Columbus last Saturday
than I have seen in Fulton county
in the last ten years.
Mr.. Mercer did not retract MS
charge, but stated that he hao no
data with him to prove his state
nent He said that he had arrived
at his conclusion after tour OF the
state in which he had talked to sher-,
ifs and boards of county comnlis-
sioners in practically every county
in Georgia.
Asks For Policemen
Mr. Mercer told the commissioners
that he did not wish to appear cllIi-
cal He said that he had come ne.
fore them to appeal to them for alo
in crushing the liquor menace IN the
state and county.
at want you gentlemen to appro-
pirate enough money to hlre aoou1
25 men to devote their time eXclu-
siyelv to the whisky business IN fui-
ton County" Mr.. Mercer said L
don't think the Fulton county pollce
are giving the federal agents sum
cient cooperation. They are tied
down to other duties and have not
time to waylay these liquor mer-
chants as they should
when you say that the Fulton
county police are not cooperating
with the federal agents in stamping
out this whisky traffic I think the
shoe is on the other foot" Commls.
sioner Etheridge said: 1.-THE federal
agents will not cooperate with us.
l know of a specific instance where
county police have informed federal
agents of the presence of still in
Clayton county and SO far they have
made no effort to put it out of bust
ness"
Your statement is absurd" Com
missioner Mills told Mr.. Mercer.
Your remarks are based on conjec-
ture, not fact. Personally, I don't
appreciate your attitude at all. You
have placed us on the pinnacle OF
fame by saying we have the wettest
county in the state. You have no
right to say a word about our coun-
ty police. Chief George Mathieson
has the best disciplined and most
efficient force in the state"
Commissioner C. G. Turner asked
Mr.. Mercer why the federal authori-
ties did not stamp out the manufac-
ture Of liquor in other counties so
that it would not be imported into
Fulton.
Limited Federal Force
Mr.. Mercer replied to Commits
sioner Turn by saying that there
were only q federal agents in the
state and that it was impossible to
do this with such limited force.
Il think you should criticize the
counties that supply Fulton with
liquor" Mr.. Turner said. 'Sf you
will get at the source of supply you
will do more good than jumping or
Fulton county for buying whisky
You know as we'll as I do that 9;
per cent Of the whisky sold in Full
ton county is manufactured in other
counties"
Il fear you gentlemen have mis-,
understood me-" Mr.. Mercer said. 81
don't think 1 have said anything tC
warrant this criticism. I don't wish
to criticize your present county pc
lice force, [ merely say that you neeC
some liquor specialists. Please &C
cept my remarks as constructive
rather than destructive"