San Antonio light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1911-1993, 1923-02-26


low the lead of the federal government.
The experiment in Pennsylvania is
being watched with particular interest
by President Harding and the entire
| prohibition force of the government.
\ Pennsylvania is : densely populated
Governor Pinchot has asked the Leg
islature to pass drastic enforcement
laws. They may become models for
other states to copy. Governor Pin
chot has had placed at his disposal
| all the information and experience of
the federal government in fighting yio-
lators OF the Yolstead law. Prohibi-
ton Commissioner Haynes makes fire.
quent trips to Pennsylvania and
speaks to business and trade bodies
and other important gatherings there.
| Pennsylvania the 2 est.
| Pennsylvania is so close to New York
and New Jersey that what happens in
the keystone state is bound to be-
come known across the Delaware river
in short order. If Pennsylvania can
be made dry, the skepticism of some
of the people in the other so-called
wet" states will not last long. That's
the reasoning of the prohibitiOnists
who are making their hardest drive in
Pennsylvania with the state and fed
cral machinery at their disposal.
And speaking of skeptics, there is
significant :esson to be learned
about the power of the federal gov
eminent, when it is once exerted, and
that lesson concerns the traffic in
dope.
If "bootleggers" axe hard to catch,
then done peddIers are dOubly diff
ficult TO apprehend. They operate even
more clandestineIy and with a skill
fulness born of years of furtive ex-
| perience. And what has been the
record of the federal government re-
Gently? The statistics show an in
crease in 1922 of 6j per cent in the
number of arrests and n 100 ppr cent
increase in the number of conyic-
TONS.
Some people have endeavored to
show that the dope traffic has been
stimulated by prohibition of the sale
of intoxicating liquors. Government
officials say this is absurd. They
argue that the number of adde's
hasn't increased very much but that
the prosecutions have been more Wig
orOus because at last Congress has
appropriated enough montS to enforce
the law against peddlers Of narcotics.
There is a feeling also that the pub
licity which some newspapers have
given to the dope question has In
creased to some extent the users of
done because of the inevitable effect
Of lurid stories on the Imagination of
weakminded people. Government of !
ficials think there has been alto
gether too much said in print about |
dope ard that more harm than good |
is done by the argument chat PAIN |
ing the evils is n preventive. They |
think it works the other way and |
tempts many who wound otherwise |
never near ABOUT drugs.
Less Users Than Thought.
Estimates have boon nrirtod from,
time n timn that tbo nI,n,bor 81
druo nsers rms from T51 OO0 ~ <
100000. Mr.. Haynes. the prohi- |
bition commissioner. who also enforces
the law on narcotics, says his experts |
believe there are not more than 300 |
90 to 10000 in the whole United |
States. There are two classes-the |
criminal who must be taken care OF |
in institutions and the business and
professional class must be cared for |
by physicians. relatiy and friends. |
The courts are beginning to deal very |
severely with dope pedd,ers. Sem
fences have been as high as 20 years
per individual. Limitation of pro-
uuctloh OF Gope IS another lesiSiatiVe !
Iolicy Wnlcn Is expected 10 help the !
urus SITUATION.
The craving for drugs and for I
liquor are held to be separate and dis |
tinct. Officials in the Department of |
Justice say they cannot accept the !
theory, that prohibition has increased |
the number of drug addicts because |
liquor has not been so scarce in the !
last two years that man with a !
desperate thirst couldn't find a. boot !
logger SOMEWHERE or even make some !
if he needed it.
1t has taken seven wears 70 make |
the government enforcement machinery |
efficient in banJIino tho ,Irug troffic |
MANY rrobibition off;cioIy tb;nI. II |
will toto seven ,.oars 70 bonJIo tho |
I;Gnor IrobIon, os vail PnoL;b;tinn
C6T T u%Tros thirl.. tIo ,ooi, |
of .sbontIn.rir. Las Soo,, r.ooo ynn p al
H.. =, to ,o,;Ia Iii 80
rnIo +iror.. I H.. tho+ - I.;aio%;onS nf +Lo
iinnor lave riII Ill bn rodnooJ 70 Tho
same IoycI nc ,,,oI,tiors Of otbor Laws