Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1922-01-16
BOOZE CLEANUP
HERE IS PLANNED
City, State and U. S. Forces to
Cooperate in Biggest Drive,
X Is Said
WARNING OF POISON RUM

Arrangements have been completed by
prohibition agents for the greatest
drive against bootleggers ever made In
this city, 1t became known today.
Although preparations for new raids
ore not admitted, ii is said city, stats
and national authorities will cooperate
in the campaign against all violators OF
the Eighteenth Amendment.
''For the first tipe In the history OF
Pennsylvania the liquor supply, in the
State of Pennsylvania IL now under
control" declared s. F. Rutter, Asso-
ciate Director Of Prohibition Enforce
ment In this State. Mr.. Ruttrr also
declared the enforcement officials had
reached the turning point in the battle
against boot,eggers.
Before our arrival here" Mr.. Rut:
ter said, Pennsylvania was one OF
the wettest States in the Union. We
found the State flooded with whisky
and alcoho' issued on genuine and
forged permits. Millions OF gallons OF
liquor had been withdrawn on forged
permits. Since last June we have been
trying to plug up these sources of sup.
ply, and ut last we have succeeded by
revoking permits ty the score, and at
the present time we have the situation
we'll In hand.
Permits Cut or
1.-THE Prohibition law never had a
fair chance in Pennsylvania, but in the
next two years I will predict that
Pennsylvania will be one Of the dryest
States In the Union. Those now
holding permits TO handle liquor nre
only reputable, reliable business houses.
No more permits will be issued to boot
logging firms in this State"
Conflict Of views as to the benefits or
DISADVANTAGES accruing from the two
years operation Of the prohibition law
exists in every section. To obtain data
from which Philadelphia might draw
It's answer in an Investigation was
made. Definite conclusions were diff :
cult-so conflicting were the views OF
those closets TO the situation.
One noint ~ agreement on all sides
was that IN 1920, the first of the 60
called dry" two years, the arrests for
I intoxication decreased while In 1921
: the number increased more than 7OOO
above the first year and more than 6OOO
above the wet first year.
A second point of agreement Ia that
philadelphia is flooded with artificial
( liquor" that Is. liquor largely composed
OF ether or "am!l acetate" turned out
by "hooch mills
Death in Artificial Liquor
Chemists say that this brand oi
"liquor" should call for the death pen
atty for those who have put II on the
market. Physicians are authority 70,
| the statement that steady use of II wi,
bring about In n short time an appall
ing death list from form of malady
resembling Pright's disease.
The Anti Saloon League admits til,
conditions In Philadelphia are mo
! ideal" 1t denies, however. the claim
that the flooding Of Philadelphia will
''poison liquor" Is an argument agains
prohibition. It suggests 1t may be al
argument against license, and points
out that the Eighteenth Amendment ha
come to stay because the people want il
On the other hand, the Pennsylvania
Division Of the Association Against tn,
Prohibition Amendment puts out tn,
argument that the "fiood' Of poisoI
liquor sold in Philadelphia is proof tina
the people want liquor and do not wan
prohibition. They hold that at least ~
Tcr cent of the population is opposed t.
the amendment. One Of their empha
sized points Is that the amendment an
It's enforcing element, the VolStead Act
have made criminals of those who TAX
even a drink OF beer, wine or liquor
In other words, they hold. the Law
makes criminals Of the majority Of mel
and women in this city.
Fourteen Poison Deaths
They point to the fact that the hos
NitrlS are treating cases every day 70
conditions resulting from the use Q
"rOison liquor" 1t may be said tha
In thN last six months hospitals O
ph'adcinhia have treated 312 sue
ases, of which fourteen died.
The anomalous situation as respect
State and Federal laws creates n con
dition in Philadelphia, and all othe
cities of the State, that does not eXiS
in other States. This has placed th
city police authorities in puzzlin
situation. Aside from sporadic raid
the police have not hitherto been over
Jealous in enforcing the Eighteent
Amendment, Only comparatively re
Gently have the Federal enforcemer
agents been active.
The outstanding facts in the ARA
of arguments are that booze is sti
! openly sold IN Philadelphia at the Ell
Of two wears of prohibition; that n
amy Of bootleggers Is flooding the cit
with ''poison liquor" and good, ba
and Indifferent whisky, and that theI
, are saloons which sell beer which
good as ever was served" Added {
. that is the warning Of physicians thi
= new death" threatens those WI
. drink the artificial whisky"