The New York herald., 1921-03-18
DRYER NEW YORK
SEEN BY OFFICIALS
Passage of State Enforcement
Bills Will Tighten Coils,
Many Believe.
ALL NOW RESPONSIBLE
Police and District Attorneys
Office Expected to Relieve
Federal Agents.
ALL NOW RESPONSIBLE

The Gage enforcement bills. passed
Wednesday by the Assembly and TO be
voted upon Tuesday by the Senate, will
go long way toward making New
York city dry. officials whose duty
brings them into contact with prohibit
ton agreed Yesterday.
Joab Fl. Banton. acting District At
torney IN New York county in the alb
sence Of Mr.. Swami. said that the pro-
posed laws were emphatic as regards
the District Attorneys office.
Under the law the duty Of enforce
ment is placed upon the shoulders Of
city police, sheriffs, deputy sheriffs
constables, district attorneys and
State courts" he said. THE District
Attorney OF each county. or an assist
ant. is specifically charged TO appear
in court to prosecute every offender
against whom q charge OF violation OF
this law is made. He has no Initiative
in the enforcement OF the law, but
once a complaint is made he must take
action upon 1t.
II do not believe the laws will cause
any new division In the District Attor-
ney's office here. There is in each
magistrates court In the city a COM
petent Assistant District Attorney, and
these will handle the cases, as they now
handle other cases.
speedicr Trials Expected.
Prohibition enforcement will be very
much helped by the passage OF the Gage
bills, but it will be, nevertheless,
very difficult Job. because the people
are not with you on It," John Anderson
Leach First Deputy Police Commits
sioner, said yesterday. The police are
now making arrests for violation OF me
law. but owing to the congestion in the
Federal courts the offenders are not
tried for long periods. and sometimes
go on selling while out on bail await
ing trial. The new law will make It
possible to bring the offenders before
State courts and have speedy trials
Many violators of the law will. ]
believe, quit business when the State
laws pass, because they will have
against them the weight of the State
as ". as the national Government.
Even now II is possible for man to
get drink only where he is known
Ernest Langley. the new prohibition
enforcement chief. believes that the
enactment OF the State enforcement bills
offers the only hope OF a really dry
New York. He said the passage of the
bills would mean much to his office,
and that without the additional power
of enforcement coming from the con-
slant participation of the police. Fed
cral administration OF the Volstead act.
with the means at present at its dis
posal, can be only partially effective.
Anderson Sees Great Benefits.
The aid of county and municipal Of
arti 10 xtfC1a 20,
the Federal agents, because 1t would
mean they would be able to devote more
of their time to running down special
phases of the liquor problem, while
much of the routine detection Of viola
tions would be carried on by the police.
Charles r. O'Connor. State prohibition
director. said the passage, of the bills
would be much appreciated by him.
ANY effective aid that can be ex-
tended to US in this work Is welcome
aid" he said.
OF the Anti-Saloon League. said that the
bills. if passed. would mean great i'm
proveinent In dry enforcement
THE Federal machinery enforcing the
dry law this year will cost about seven
and q half millions of dollars, and of
this less than a million goes to this
State" he said. ITO this will be added
the State machinery OF police. district
attorneys and courts. costing almost
sixty millions. This means, of course,
that IL will be much more difficult for
vlolators 10 escape detection"
Leroy w. Ross, United States At
torney In Broolslyn. said the measures
would undoubtedly relieve the pressure
Of work under which the Federal courts
have been operating.
Harold Dobbs. chief enforcement
agent In charge OF Brooklyn and Long
Island generally. said the new State
laws would not change his work to any
extent.