New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1921-04-23
.Enrigght Holds
Dry Work Cuts
Police Strength
Commissioner Calls NewLaw
Cumbersome and Says 1t
Is Creating 1nefficiency
in Duties of Department
Will Enforce 1t Anyhow
722 Saloons Closed in Week;
Asks Speedy Prosecutions
to Show Drive Is No Joke

Police Commissioner Enright invited
reporters into his sanctum yesterday
for talk on the enforcement of the
state prohibition law.
The Commissioner said the law was
cumbersome, and was creating ineffi
cheney in the Police Department, but
that policemen would continue tc
make arrests until enjoined from doine
so by the courts.
"As long as the law is on the statute
books" he said, "it IS up to us to en-.
force it. l believe if there were some
convictions and Jail sentences under
the law offenders would cease to take
the law as a joke. I will confer with
district attorney as to the advisa-
bility of writing to the judges of Cen
eral Sessions court asking them tc
speed some of the earlier cases, that
the police may have some convictions
if possible, to show that the law Is
being enforced.
722 Saloons Closed in Week
"If the Board of Estimate will give me
$3,000,000 and one thousand additional
pol cemen | will train the men all at
once for sixty-fve days, and two
months thereafter we will have New
York entirely dry. The city is dryer
now than people realize: Before pro
hibition there were 10000 licensed
saloons in New York"
of the records, which showed at the
present time there were only $500
saloons in the city. Many of these
places, he predicted, would close as
soon as rental leases expired. In the
last week 722 have closed.
Because the Federal enforcement
agents were unable to enforce the law
many saloon men have not taken pro-
hibition seriously, and we have to
bring it forcibly to their minds that
the law positively will be enforced. 1t
was not the fault Of the Federal agents
There are not enough Federal agents
in the whole country to handle the
situation in New York alone. If the
Federal and state laws had been con-
current it would have helped matters
but we will have to do the best we CAM
Rabbi Appeals to Court
Regarding reported shortage of
wines for the Jewish Passover, Com
missioner Enright said he saw no re-
lief save for rabbis whose stocks were
seized to bring suits. The frst of
such suits was heard yesterday when
Rabbi Charles Weitzman asked Su-
preme Court Justice Delehanty for an
order directing the police to return
450 gallons of sacramental wine which
was seized.
Acting Federal Prohibition Director
E. B. Holmes said yesterday: II do not
know that the rabbis have all the wine
they want, but l know they haze all
they are going to get"
The law, he said, was to give not
an abundance of wine for sacram entail
purposes, but just enough.
The first conviction under the new
state law was that OF Teddy Suck, of
81 Allen Street, who pleaded guilty to
having liquor in his possession lille
gally. He was remanded for sentence
April rs by Judge John F. Mcintyre
in General Sessions.
Attorney General Harry M. Daugh-
erty was reported to be considering the
referring of state liquor cases to
United States commissioners courts
Cooperation of this nature between
state and Federal courts is common in
counterfeiting, bankruptcy, postal law
violations and others where arrests are
made by state authorities and cases
turned over to the Federal authorities
for indictment and prosecution.
Arrests to date on charges Of state
liquor law violations total 1850, with
118 indictments. Yesterday there were
five indictments and five cases were
dismissed by the grand jury. The dis.
missals were in cases where alleged
offenders were found to be carrying
thoir owu 1iuuor in n Ha aSk