The New York herald., 1922-04-16
COLER Is ALARMED
BY YOLSTEAD EVILS
Sees Drug Addiction Growing
s and Dependencies on City
1il Increasing.

The effects OF prohibition. as seen IN
the work Of the Department Of Public
reifare, are increasingly evil, Commis-
5ner Bird S. coIer declared yesterday.
.I can say positively. he declared.
shat all the seeming good which was
to be derived from the passage or the
yplstead act has passed away and that
the outlook for increased dependencies
OF every kind Is growing most alarm
ingly."
The Commissioner said that while the
alcoholic wards were practically aoan-
doned In the early part Of 1919. their ac-
tivity at present is greater than 1t was
prior to the passage of the Eighteenth
Amendment. Drug addlcts. he reports.
are growing more numerous all the time
and more vicious as we'll
From the effect the passage OF the
cot had for the first few months upon
all types OF dependents in this depart
rnent," he said, lit looked as if the mil
lennium had come. There was almost a
perpendicular drop in every kind of de-
tendency. This condition, however, be-
gan to change as soon as the public
decided that the law was made not to
be obeyed and that the bootlegger
worked under the semi-protection of the
Government itself.
n 1T the Government had been sincere
In the effort to enforce prohibition and
TO release spirituous liquor for medicinal
purposes only, It, would have inquired
from health departments, welfare de-
partments and medical societies what
amount of liquor is necessary for me-
dicinal purposes.
ii'sIn all the hospitals AMI dispensares
operated by the city of fiew York less
than 700 gallons a year are used"
1.-The seizure of a carload of alcohol
which left New York Friday noon for
Boston over the New Haven was re-
ported to prohibition headquarters yes
terday az having been reade upon the
arrival OF the alcohol in Boston. Di-
rector Day received information Friday
night that the alcohol was being shipped
for bootleg distribution ami Immediately
Informed the Boston enforcement office
The names OF the shipper and the con-
elgnee were not made known.
The alcohol was contained in 100 bar
rels. each of fifty gallens capacity.
Alcohol has a bootleg value OF about $40
q gallon, which would make the ship
nlent worth $4,000. z
A ship said to have on board liquor
valued at 100000 was reported yester-
day as seeking TO discharge Its cargo
on the southern shore Of Long Island,
md a strong patrol was placed Oh guard
from Lawrence to Freeport, made up of
coast guards, constables and deputy
sheriffs. 1t is rumored,. that a. part Of
the cargo had been landed, and that
scme of it had been buried in the
meadows between East Rockaway and
Long Beach.
Instructions have been received at
prohibition headquarters transferring
control of the enforcement fleet of for
iner subchasers to customs officials. The
reason for the transfer, as stated in the
Instructions, Is contained in the lim!,a-
tions placed upon prohibition officers
acting upon the high seas. The customs
service exercises a wider authority and.
therefore, 1t is thought, can conduct a
more effective campaign against srn,tg-
glers. Cooperation between the two de-
partments will continue, and the boats
win be manned principally by prohibit
tjon agents. One customs officer must
he aboard each craft. seys.4.