Milford chronicle., 1922-07-21
DELAWARE DISTRICT
PAYS GOVERNMENT
DIRECTOR ROBERT B. ELLIOTT REPORTS
MUCH ACTIVITY ON PART OF DRY
ENFORCEMENT AGENTS.
$l43, ,793M FINES ASSESSED
MUCH LIQUOR AND MASH WAS SEIZED
BY OFFICIALS DURING The PAST
TWELVE MONTHS.

IGpOIb On luG dCllNlll6S VI AAD OAAASS
for the past twelve months:
Reviewing the enforcement end of
the work of this office for the fiscal
year ending June 80, 1922, for the ben
eft of the public, I find that according
to our records, 1 am able to submit
the following report:
Number of arrests on Federal war
rants for violations of N. P. A, 81.
Number of plead guilty and SEN
fenced, 80.
"Number of cases held under bail
by U. S. Commissioner, %.
Practically all of these SO are ser
wing or have served time in the New
Castle County Workhouse. Sentences
in these cases, up to April LIST, ranged
from two months to four months,
while in the cases of those sentenced
since April 1st the time given has
ranged from six months to twelve
months, which shows that the court Is
becoming more severe on the VIOLA
tors.
Number of stills seized, u.
Number of gallons of wh1skey
seized, rs.
Number of gallons of wine SEIZED
27O.
''Number of gallons of mash de-
stroyed, 2050.
Number of fermenters destroyed,
"a.
"In addition to the prison terms IN
the above cases there was imposed IN
fines, $4,O56.0O; property was seized
to the value of $10,77O.00; number OF
automobiles seized, 8; taxes and pen
alties assessable under the above ar
rests, $128,967.65; making total OF
fines, seized property, taxes and pen
alties, $143, 1885.
"The total expenditures of the ONCE
including salaries, travelling expenses,
money for obtaining Evidence, 'phone
bills, telegraph bills, storage on con-
fiscated cars and all other incldentals
were only $15,187.52.
"The above figures SHOULD make IN
teresting reading for the wet propa-
gandists who go around deploring the
fact that the enforcement of the 1Stn
Amendment is so very expensive ana
such a terrible drain on the U. >.
Treasury.
Federal agents working out of this
office also assisted the State officers
in making So raids, in which were
seized 10 stills, 95 gallons of whiskey,
500 gallons of wine; destroyed l4OO
gallons of mash and % fermenters.
The majority of these cases were de-
veloped by our officers, (that is Feder-
al oficers) but the raids were made
on State warrants, for the reason, that
in these cases we found it more con-
venient to go to the nearest Justice OF
Peace to get search warrants, ana IN
all such cases the viOlators were
turned over to the State for prosecu-
ton and while do not have informa-
ton sufficient to make detailed re-
port in these cases, 1 do know that
the State was successful in obtaining
conviction in most of these cases and
as a result hundreds of dollars was
collected by the State in fines and
greater number of the viOlators are
still serving time in the New Castle
County WOrkhouse, several of whom
got as much as a 12-mOnths' sentence.
"In addition to the raids, seizures,
arrests, and prosecutions, there have
been called to my attention dozens and
dozens of cases where, upon invest1ga-
tion. the violations have been found |
to be very slight and of such nature
to me as did not seem to warrant ar
rest and prosecution and in all such
cases the Violators, or supposed VIOLA
tors. were warned that complaints had |
been received against them and that |
thev must refrain from violations, con-
duct their place of business, or home, |
as the case might be, in such man |
ner as to keep down suspicion or else |
steps would be taken to have them |
prosecuted and if necessary to have
their home or place of business, clos
ed as a Public Nuisance.
"The belief that this method has
proven successful is justified, think |
bv the fact that in practically all OF |
the cases handled in this manner the
warning has been sufficient to stop
the violations, land after all that is
what the Government most deslres)
there has, however, been one case, IN
where the viOlator persist
ed in plying his illicit trade after he
had been warned to "clean up. we
then secured direct evidence against
him. had him arrested, and he was
sentenced by the court to pay a good
fine and costs for viola
fions of the national prohibition act.
"The director pointed out the fact
that if the Government should be sue
cessfnl in collecting all of the taxes
and penalties assessed in the above
cases it would be receiving about
dollars for each and
avery dollar expended. When ques-
TONED as to whether he thought that
he Government might be able to col
ect the full amount of the assessment
he director admitted that 1t is quite
probable that it will not, but suggest
ID that even though the government
collected only so per cent of the as
;essments, that. with the fines and
seized property, which are certain
Will give the government more than !
ive-and-one-haIf dollars for each dol
% ak1i of which goes to show that,
while the work of enforcing the 18TH
amendment is not intended as mon /
W making scheme on the part OF the
: .$sovernment, it is self-sustaining with /
.onsiderable to spare and the viola s
ors, themselves, foot all OF the DilIs' c