Perth Amboy evening news., 1923-11-26
PUBLIC OPINION
Bootlegging in Perth Ambo.

Editor Evening News:
AS a former citizen of Perth AM
boy / am deeply interested in her
material prosperity and moral we'll
being. About the middle of Novem-
Der L spent the night with friends
in your city. Their home is on a
cross street down near the point at
the mouth of the Raritan.
At about 8 A. NJ. l was awakened
by the rumbling of a heavy car as
it rolled in that street and stopped
in front of my window. l could
hear some men unloading boxes or
crates and the rattling of bottles
could be distinctly discerned. At
once it occurred to me that it was
some rascally bootleggers at their
low work. They were careless, noisy
and unafraid. They evidently knew
that they were in no danger of in
Wuption-indeed, in a sense they
felt that they were protected.
l was told that on some nights
they were so noisy in their operations
that nobody in that neighborhood
could sleep. Some of these people
complained to the authorities but no
relief came. l wrote superintendent
Chamberlin as to the situation here.
He thanked me and said he would
attend to it. A raid was made and
some trucks captured on the road.
And there it ended.
A policeman, in one section of
your city, was asked If he knew of
this violation of law. He admitted
that he did. He was asked why
he did not make an arrest and put
an end to it. Please note his reply:
with a hammer over my head,
and both hands tied, what can /
do? 1 am helpless" If true, this
is a bad state of affairs for any
city to be in.
To pitifully whine that the law Is
as we'll enforced in Perth Amboy
as in the other cities around it is
simply pleading the baby act. 1t is
no credit to a city to do in this
regard as we'll as Newark or Jersey
City, for the truth is that neither or
these big foreign cities do at all
enforce this law. 1t is all nonsense
to say that 1t cannot be enforced.
When a mayor wants to see 1t en-
forced, and determines to do it, it
will be done. Take a peep at Chi
cago, then buckle UP a few holes
tighter and go to it. The Chicago
mayor is doing it.
These bootleggers are disgrace
to your fair city. If your authorities
had done their full duty long ago
they would have been behind bars.
1t isn't too late yet to put them
there as common criminals. That
is where they belong. 1t is the jail
sentence that counts. The fines have
little effect.
II your officials are unwilling to
Il ta4 5,ffx nd o.
late their oath of office: let the citi-
zens take up the matter of law en-
forcement. One hundred of your
leading citizens could take up the
situation and clean up the town.
1t would greatly help your city in
every way. 1 long to hear that you
have done it. Who is the pivotal
man who will step out and lead this
movement?
Avon Park, Florida.
"Bolshevism," says funny sound
| ing man, sis a skin disease" we
knew all along it was a skin game.
More European trouble. Wish the
Atlantic was as wide as the Paciflc.
Fishermen are not the LATEST men
on earth. Some men are even too
lazy to go fishing.
Most any man will lie about how
! truthful he is.
We will not have a new world
war, but several nations are trying
to make the old one over again.
Only a few more paydays until
| Christmas.
This is the ege of speed. Wouldn t
| 1t be great If Christmas came right
after Thanksgiving?
A hen in Amherst. Mass. laid S02
eggs in one year probably laying
OF Sundays and ii holideys.