The Washington times., 1923-06-04
N.Y..DRY REPEAL
WILL Be COSTLY.
FOR j. s.
Means Loss of 20, 900 Agents
in Gotham and Increased
Expenditure.
& 2 = :
By GEORGE r. HOLMES
international News Service.


Repeal of the New York State en-
forcement law, with the possibility
existing that a few other States may
follow New York's example, is going
to prove costly to the Federal Gov
eminent, it was admitted today by
officials who have been closely study
ing the prohibition enforcement stu
alton since Gov. Smith signed the
repeater.
Instead of approximately $4,000
000,~ appropriated for the enforce
ment of prohibition during the pres
ent year, prospects are today that
at least $25,OO0.OOO will be asked Of
Congress to keep the country dry
next year. Prohibition enforcement
officials, at any rate, are making
their preliminary estimates on that
basis
The additional millions will be re-
staff Of Federal agents, and for a
general broadening out" of the
whole enforcement division of the
SxONSa IlIIlSGlIy O1llCAdIS Sodlu
Means Loss of 10000 Agents.
New York alone will require a tre-
mendous increase in enforcement
personnel. While the Mullan-Gage
law has been effective, the mobile
force of agents on duty in New York
State has ranged around 200. Now
that the cooperation of State and
city officers has, in large measure
been. withdrawn, this force will have
to be multiplied many times.
Even then, it was admitted, strict
enforcement in New York is going
to be a dubious proposition. The
oretically, at least, 10000 enforce
ment agents have been lost to the
Federal Government through the
repeal of the. Mullan-Gage law,
counting each policeman an enforce
ment agent, and the Federal Gov
eminent cannot hope to throw an
army of that size into New York
in replacement. .
The cost of enforcing prohibition
TO the Federal Government is one
Of the matters which President
Harding will call to the attention
of the governors of States in their
conference here next week. He
will inform the governors that the
maximum Of State and city aid is
necessary if Federal taxes are to be
kept down.
President Harding wants to see
every policeman and every official
an active enforcement agent, and
he will make this emphatic to the
governors.
Will Launch Congress Fight.
The request of the prohibition
bureau for greatly increased funds
will precipitate one Of the many
wet and dry fights in Congress
which alreadv loorr up. The vets
will oppose Increased expenditures,
their spokesman declared today, and
they expect to draw considerable
support from the drys on the issue
of economy in Federal Government.
The employment of either army or
navy forces by the Federal Govern
ment in enforcing prohibition would
be one way out of the difficulty,
but officials are dubious about the
constIutionality of this means. The
proposition was put up to Attorney
General Daugherty for an opinion
some weeks ago. but it has not yet
been Vhanded down.
1t is currently reported in Wash
ingtop that the opinion, when writ
ten, will declare the President has
not the right to use the navy unless
"a grave public emergency" exists.
Congressman Fred Britten Rep)
of Illinois, wet leader, who an
nounced he would introduce a beer
and light wine bill on the first day
Of the new Congress, issued an eX-
planatOry statement Of his proposed
legislation today, stating that $780,
600, 900, or more than enough to run
the whole army and navy for a year,
could be produced in revenue by
permitting the manufacture and
sale of beer and light wines under
Federal tax.
Such q tax would be paid more
cheerfully than any other the Gov
eminent could impose" said Brit
ten. 1T not only would take care
of soldiers bonus. but would pay
off the whole national debt in TWEEN
ty years.