New-York tribune., 1921-04-01
Defiant Public
Keeps N.Y.Wet,
Says Kramer
enforcement Blocked by
Open Hostility to Law, He
Asserts: Stricter Watch
Will Wear Down Foes
opposes Amending Bill
5rges Longer Trial and Calls
Progress Remarkable;
Home Brew Vanishing
r.,,,,. The Tribune's Washington Bureau

r-o.-, The Tri5une's Washington Bureau
WASHINGTON, March 31.-Liquor is
sold more or less openly" In New
York and other large centers, according
70 q letter which Prohibition Commis-
soner John F. Kramer has written to
Senator Capper, Of Kansas. Mr. Kramer
unholds the Volstead law, however, and
saws the failures TO prohibit in the last
YEAR have been due to administration
rather than to the law itself.
Mr.. Kramer wrote Senator Capper in
renlv to a letter from the Senator
which called the attention Of the Com
missioner to a newspaper article say
ing prohibition was a farce.
Senator Capper asked, among other
things, if il was true S93 saloons were
run openly in New York City. Mr.. Kra-
mer. admitting liquor is sold to some
extent openly in New York and other
large cities, says that in none of the
saloons is liquor sold as IL was before
prohibition was enacted In some res
taurants in New York, he says, patrons
are able to get drinks. He mentions
one instance IN which highballs were
served recently at New York restau-
rant at the rate Of four highballs'
for IS.
Commissioner Kramer insists that
the problem of enforcement is more
difficult for the Federal government
han for the states.
"Tne most difficult problem that any
state ever undertook was the elimina-
tion of LIQUOR for beverage purposes"
he observes.
The fact that many communities had
nrObih;tfnn +hnnCpb thNy-
posed it, according to Mr.. Kramer, had
its effect on courts and enforcement
officials. He cites New York in this
i"For example, he says, ain New
sbrk City there is not much sentiment
j., favor of prohibition and, what is
RI eAe vital, the sentiment there is
either against law obedience and law
enforcement, or, to say the least, is
rath quiescent and dormant This
q neral sentiment, of course, has its
feet on the courts, the officials and
son those who are given TO violating
le law"
iMr Kramer asserts arrests do not
top violations of the law in New
iork; that hundreds of cases are pend
ihg in the courts; that nominal fines
are imposed in many instances, and
tnat the courts complain they are pO-
Ice courts merely. Lack of coopera-
ION from local and state officials is
me of the things he complains Of.
f"In some states" he says, "like New
,ork. Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Mary
Ind. Connecticut, Rhode Island and
Massachusetts,, there are no state codes
Mich enabled state and local officials
p render effective assistance, though
some of them have desired to do so.
There has been disposition for state
officials to say that it is work for
the Federal government to DO"
As to problems Of enforcement, Mr..
Kramer says:
First, we have the border problem.
Liquors are being smuggled into this
country from Canada, from Mexico and
from the islands near the Florida coast.
We need more men here. The Texas
border itself is 500 miles long, and
we only have thirty-fve men to cover
the entire states Of Texas, New Mex
leo and Arizona.
Another problem is that arising
from the sale Of patented and pro-
prletary medicines. In this connection
we made & mistake in the beginning
Of our work. We issued, in the first