Evening star., 1923-11-03


plans for expansion of the guard and
shortly would make known how
much money will be asked of Con-
gress for the work
Mr.. Mellon said he hoped that q
better understanding with the Cana
dian government would resuh from
the forthcoming conference with Do
minion officials on prohibition ques-
tions, and that any accords reached in
that meeting should result in more
effective prevention of unlawful i'm
portatiOns from Canada.
Reference was made by the Secre-
tary to the proposed treaty with
Great Britain by which search and
seizure of rum-runners outside the
three-mile limit would be authorized.
Expansion of the searching area, he
said, would make it doubly imperative
to strengthen the coast guard
Turning to the internal efforts at
enforcement, Mr.. Mellon said there
were only 1.522 field agents and an
administrative unit of about 700 with
which to make the country dry.
Notwithstanding the large area
covered" the statement continued.
this force is less than one-eighth of
York. less than one-fifth of that of
the city of Chicago and little more
than ono third of that of the city of
Philadelphia.
OF the total federal force eighty
six are assigned to Pennsylvania, the
Secretary said. and he called attention
TO the strength of the Pennsylvania
state police, which numbers 260
Violations and Convictions.
Despite the smallness of the fed
eral force available in that state" the
statement added between August
1921, and October, 1928, it not only
supervised the several hundred per-
mittees in that state, but discovered
and reported 7,142 violations; OBJ
tanned 1,434 convictions in the federal
courts; secured the imposition Of fines
10 the amount of $304.064.30; seized
2.425 Illicit distilleries; seized and
secured the forfeiture of 280 automo-
biles; collected tax penalties to the
amount of $s31, ,423.36, and secured in
formation leading to the revocation
Of 336 permits. these being only par
tial and incomplete returns. To all
who are interested in facts these fig
ures will show that there has not
only been earnest effort to enforce
the prohibition law in the state of
Pennsylvania, but that the results are
as full as could be expected in con-
sideration of the smallness of the
force and the magnitude of the un-
dertaking:
"As to the country generally, dur
ing the fiscal year ended June 80.
1928. this little force of 1,522 en-
forcement officers made the inspec-
tions for and supervised 1888 per-
mits; seized and destroyed 1928 IL
licit distillery plants, 457, ,365.25 gal
Ions of Illicit spirits 4,S03S72 gal
Ions of Illicit malt liquors. 55,44334
gallons of wine. S,356.696 gallons of
mash; seized and forfeited 1917 auto
mobiles. valued at $2,l01, 1880; seized
and forfeited 134 boats, valued at
1891, 1,694.55; seized and destroyed prop
erty, $3,375, 1898; seized property, S.
103.13S.20; arrested 66,936 offenders,
secured and aided in securing the
convictions of 34.067 Offenders; secur-
Ell and aided in securing the imposi-
tions of fines to the amount of $5-
2,491.1S, which fines went into the
general Treasury and were not avail
able for prohibition enforcement In
these operations eleven enforcement
officers lost their lives and forty Ave
were seriously injured. These facts
will indicate whether there has been
an honest effort to enforce the law.
Cites Industrial Plants.
I'VE have in the United States sew
enty-four industrial alcohol plants, au-
thorized to produce and sell industrial
alcohol for non-beverage purposes
there are now no distilleries producing
potable liquors in the United States !;
there are 492 cereal beverage plants.
commonly called breweries, manufacture
ing cereal beverages of less than one
half of / per cent OF alcoholic strength,
the manufacture of real beer, as form
erly understood, not being allowed by
law, and 963 wineries, where taxable
wine is manufactured for sale for nom
beverage use and sacramental purposes.
The industrial alcohol plants are chiefly
located in the middle west, the south
and the east, the breweTies in the east
and the bulk of the wineries in the west.
All these institutions must be surveyed,
bonded, permitted, supervised and con-
A1znA rrytf n ~ N
ouate force. the law can be well en-
forced at these plants That the Con-
gress should make an increased appro-
priation for the field force is clearly