New Britain herald., 1922-12-06
Haynes Report Shows A,779Prosecutionsa and $2,79l,OOO in Fines Turned Into Federal Treasury During Year
Declares Crisis of Enforce ment is at Hand and Asks S9,OOO,OOO to Carry on Work Next Year.

Washington, Dec. 6.---The crisis in the federal prohibition enforcement fight has been reached. in the opinion of Commissioner Haynes, it was dis closed today in reports of recent hear ings before a house appropriations subcommittee.
 Asks 9 Million.
 In asking ss,o0o,0O0 for the next fiscal year for his department Mir. Haynes told the committee that if a similar amount was allowed for pro- hibition enforcement continuously for five or six years, a reduction 'then. ought to be possible, but that the cri- tical period for enforcement was now at hand.
 MT. Haynes said there were $500 men employed in the work of prohi- bition enforcement. Because the ap- l propriation asked for next year rep resents reduction of $250,O00 from this years outlay. he said there would be slight reduction in his forces but he hoped to re-arrange the organiza- tion so as not to greatly lessen it's ef- | ficiency.
 Enforcement Gets Easier.
 The prohibition commissioner told the committee that he was ''gratified" with the present functioning of his enforcement machinery and that the department was securing fine coop eration" from state and counties in the main. Courts were becoming more sympathetic" he asserted, and jail sentences and fines were becom- ing heavier.
 There is general disposition to tighten up.'' he added.
 2O,4S3 Convictions
 In the fiscal year ended June sw, 1922, the prohibition commissioner said there were 20.4S3 convictions in federal courts for violations of the prohibition law. Acquittals numbered 4.625. cases dropped 3,217. and civil cases disposed of 544. At the end of the year he said 15,910 cases were pending in federal courts bringing the total of cases handled to 44,77o. These figures, he said, did not include cases in state courts. Fines in fed eral courts which were deposited in the treasury he placed at s2,791,0 ,000.
 For Buying Eyidence'
 Mir. Haynes asked for $150,oo0 for buying evidence" and told a commit tee $139,000 had been spent in that way during the last year.
 The prohibition commissioner un- derwent a long examination at the hands of Representative Gallivan, democrat, Massachusetts. who inquir- ed particularly about the method of handling the departments publicity. Mir. Gallivan referred, among other things, to what he termed the wildly statements he said em- anated from the bureau.
 Mir. Haynes told the committee there had been splendid reaction by the public towards his departments work and immediately clashed with Mr. Gallivan over the results of the elections of November 7 the Massa- chusetts representative citing the vot- ing down in his state of an enforce- ment measure.
 Prohibition Not at Fault
 In replying to Mr. Gallivan, Mir. Haynes admitted increased arrests under the narcotic law during the last fiscal year, but attributed it to the in- creased efficiency "of the narcotic division and not to the prohibition laws"
 Representative Magee, republican, of New York. asked if the commis- sioner did not realize there is a wide spread disrespect defiance and viola ton of the laws"
 That is true of all law" replied Mir. Haynes, adding that sub-com- mittee of the American Bar associa- ton had made statement that dis respect for all law was at maximum IS natural sequence of the war. Mr.. 5alivan insisted that the prohibition aw had caused disrespect for all avs"