The Birmingham age-herald., 1923-06-11
H AYNES REV|E WS. DRY ENF FORCEMENT. FUR LAST Z YEARS.
Says Facts Warrant Fair De- gree Of Satisfaction With
 Accomplishments

forcement since he took office, Pro hibitton Commissioner Haynes de- clared in his annual report today that the facts warranted "a fair de- gree of satisfaction with accomplish ments IS whole.'
 Many new enforcement problems will crop up for years to come, the commissioner said, but he declared that many already had been solved. He asserted that his force was oper- ating at a maximum efficiency under limited appropriations by Congress, and expressed hope that increased cooperation in enforcement work by local authorities would leave the fed eral forces free to deal principally with the larger conspiracy cases. He refrained from commenting directly on the repeal of the New York en- forcement law, but said
 Sectional DifficuIties.
 one of the chief present difficult ties may be termed sectional, where there is adverse public opinion to be combated. and it is to be found mainly on the eastern Seaboard, al thoungh there are certain cities where local conditions also make the problem quite difficult. Cooperation in some of the localities referred to, on the part of local authorities, is not what it should be- and the press
 
 ment will grow less rapidly in these localities because progress in enforce ment Will be slow. It is my ob servation that prohibition is most popular where it is most nearly en- forced. It must be clearly understood that public opinion many times re- fleets the attitude of public officials quite as much. if not more than, the officials in their conduct express the public wishes.
 Another present day difficulty is a certain type of misrepresentation which is persistent and spacious in type. One purpose seems to be to de- stroy the morale of the public most interested in prohibition, and next to discredit and hamper the officials of the government entrusted with the duty of making the eighteenth amendment effective. Notwithstand- ing all difficulties that have been presented and will be presented from time to time, they are considered but incidents in the larger progress of our work and every effort will con tinue to be made to produce the best possible results, and the record of accomplishments here submitted is ample justification for large hope for the future"
 Work Has Doubled.
 The work of the prohibition unit has more than doubled, Commi ss toner Haynes reported, during his two years in office. There now are S,55o employees, including about 2,30O pro- hihition agents. The entire unit has been reorganized with new mobile forces of agents, field supervisors and general agents.
 To show concretely the results of prohibition, the commissioner pre- sented figures showing that whisky withdrawals which had amounted to 12,3S9, ,000 gallons in 1920, dropped to 3,243,S45 in 1921 and to 1.S19,SSS in 1922. He added that there had been notable improvement In control of withdrawal of liquor for medicinal purposes" through the new permit system.
 This office has always recognized the fact and been motivated by the principle" the report continued, that it is just as clearly the right of the industrial and medicinal liquor business, recognized under the law, to have it's legal privilege safeguarded by government agencies as it is contemplated that similar agencies apprehend those who violate the law and abuse those privileges
 o O O
 Industrial Alcohol UnmoIested.
 Normal commercial processes in the use of industrial alcohol have not been lnterlereu Wlth the report said. citing figures to show that 440470OO gallons were produced in the fiscal year. 1921. 41,691.0 900 In 1922. and 4S,- S57000 gallons from July l last to March 31 this year. The numbers of plants qualified to produce industrial alcohol is 70, the same as two years ago.
 Storage of bonded whisky is being rapidly concentrated, so outlying dis tillery. warehouses having been dis continued upon removal of their con- tents to concentration points. The report said there was 3S,000,O 900 gal Ions of distilled spirits in bond July 1, 1922. About 19,00O,000 gallons have been concentrated, with 175.O0O bar rels moved to concentration ware- houses since December l last without a single theft in transit Concentra- tion of bonded medicinal liquor will be practically completed within the next fiscal year the commissioner predicted, at q saving of $500, 1000 in guarding costs.
 Withdrawals of completely dena- tured alcohol for the year ending March last were given as 22,766.O0O wine gallons. against 15,4S3,000 dur ing the previous year. Withdrawals of alcohol and high wines for the same periods were. respectively, 11,2S2,806 and 19,976S77 proof gallons. Whisky gin and brandy withdrawals totaled l,S43,914 compared to 2.56S,000 tax gallons the year before. Withdrawals of medicinal and sacramental wines were 7,469,000 gallons compared to ,, 672,00 gallons.
 Court Actions cited.
 In the federal courts alone from June 1921. 10 March 31 last, there were 65.760 criminal prohibition cases begun and $500 civil cases. with 4S.90o and 2,3l4 convictions secured. respectively, while fines imposed during the last fiscal year aggregated $4,04l. 900. Out of HOO breweries In operation in prohibition days, there are 604 at present, 70 having been closed in the last nine months.
 Smuggling of liquor is one of the principal difficulties of enforcement, the commissioner said. noting that the prohition unit has very limited facilities for combating this situa- tion' but that the coast guard and customs service had given "very ex- cellent o-operation." Eighteen ships and 40 motor boats were seized dur ing the fiscal year, 1922.
 A section of the report devoted to enforcement of the Harrison narcotic drug law said the force of 163 men In the narcotic unit had secured 65 per cent more convictions last year than during the previous year. Convic- tions in 1922 totaled 3.103 compared to 15S3 in 1921.
 These results are due to increased activities of a field force of trained investigators" the report said, "rath- CT than to an increase in drug addic-