Evening star., 1923-01-03
''PADLOCK" DRIVE
ON RUM PLANNED
Department of Justice and
Drys Confer on Extend
ing Force of Writ.
TESTS ARE SUCCESSFUL
Hotels, Houses and Boats In
Joined for Year in Many
Sections of Country.
TESTS ARE SUCCESSFUL

Officials of the Department of JUS
tice and prohibition unit conferred
today on plans for further extending
throughout the nation the effect of
the so-called paddock" clause of the
national prohibition act, declared to
be one of the most drastic weapons"
in the hands of the drys. by which,
through injunctions granted by fed
eral courts. hotels, houses, boats or
any kind of business places may be
closed and "padlocked" for an entire
year.
Following the conference. 1t is un-
derstood. official notice will be sent
by the Department of Justice TO dis
trict attorneys throughout the coun-
try advising them that the meaning
and power of the paddock" section
is very clear, and that they may go
ahead taking action accordingly.
Mrs. Mabel Walker willebrandt.
assistant attorney general. in charge
of prohibition. represented the De-
partment of Justice at the confer
ence this morning at prohibition
was represented by Federal Prohibi-
ton Commissioner Haynes. Assistant
Commissioner Jones, Prohibition
Counsel Judge James A. Britt and
Col. L. G.. Mutt, acting chief In charge
Of general prohibition agents.
Declared Fully Effective.
II was authoritatively announced al
prohibition headquarters that this
paddock" provision. which some at
torneys had reported they were hesi-
tant TO employ because of doubt in
their minds as to how far they could
go, was, in the opinion of the De-
partment of Justice and prohibition
unit, fully effective. The authority
of the paddock" provision is in sec
tions 81 and % of the national pro-
hibition act, which provides that the
offending places, IL proven before the
court to be a common nuisance" on
account of having kept Intoxicating
liquor, may be closed by the order OF
the court for a period of one year.
While prohibition officials enforc-
ing the paddock" provisions to some
extent at first took into consideration
a further modifying clause in section
%, which provides that owners of
such buildings against whom an in
junction has been ordered by the
court may operate part OF 1t, under
bond, during the prohibited year, the
policy now adopted by the prohibi-
ton officials, 1t was explained, is to
carry out to the strictest interpreta-
ton Of the law allowing complete
closing of the whole structure. The
paddock" has been actually snapped"
on the front door, and the side doors
as well.
"National Drive Warranted
Courts already have granted such
permanent injunctions in certain Sec
tions of the country in sufficient mum
bers, prohibition and department off,
cials feel, to warrant a nationwide
drive on violators Of the national
prohibition act, using the drastic
paddock clause.
This procedure, simplifles to a certain
degree, 1t was said, the operation Of the
dry forces against violators, because nc
search warrant is necessary. The
search warrant and its use, where wrong
addresses and other technical errors
have crept in. have complicated matters
considerably in various parts of the
country, prohibition official said.
A wide application of the paddock, -
IL was believed, would materially In
crease the efficiency Of the prohibition
force already operating and would
tighten up the reins of the government's
80 olinar1 @io-