Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1923-10-22
Gov ernOrs Pledge
w ord to Coolidge
Will Call Two Kinds
One with Munich
pal, County and State
Ohcials-Other with
Prosecuting A tor
neys-TO Stress En-
fOrcement of PrOhi-
bitiOn and Narcotic
Laws

Washington, Oct. determination
of prohibition enforcement programs
by the various states will come as
the next step in the campaign of the
Federal Government to make the dry
laws more effective.
Governors of two thirds of the
states of the union who attended the
conference here with President Coo
lidge yesterday on enforcement of the
immigration, narcotics and prohibi-
ton laws, left for their homes today
pledged to call two kinds of confer
ences. One will include municipal,
county and state officials, while the
other will embrace the prosecuting
attornies of each state.
The proposal for the conferences
was adopted by the governors along
with other plans providing for coor-
dination of all state, county, munici-
pal and national enforcement forces
and for cooperation of the federal
authorities in the formulation of the
state enforcement programs. In line
with these proposals the federal pro-
hlbition unit will be directed by the
promoting the conferences.
Some of the governors expressed
the view that such meetings would
be etticacious in obtaining better en-
forcement while others were doubtful
whether any substantial benefit
would accure from such meetings.
Similar division of opinion existed
among the state executives as to the
ultimate benefit to result from yes
terday's meeting. Executives favor
able TO prohibition predicted that it
would result in better enforcement.
Those inclined TO the opposite view
however frankly declared they could
MT see how the conference would do
much, if anything, to stop liquor
drinking. sale or manufactu
Governor Pinchot of Pennsylvania,
in a statement issued here today,
suggested a system of permits under
the internal revenue law. which he
said would put an end TO the larger
part of our trouble"
1.-The request of the president for
cooperation, made to the governors
Yesterday" said Governor Pinchot,
will be most cordially met in Penn
sylvania.
THE conference of yesterday not
Ills ulSCQSStu lIlt DIdCllCdl ue-
tails of how to enforce the law. I
venture, in pursuance of the prcsi-
dents suggestion to point out con-
cretely how in my opinion the sources
of illegal domestic liquor can be
dried up.
IF the federal government would
write into each of its permits to man
ufacture, transport, store, or utilize
liquors certain simple con- .
ditions,, it would make lawbreaking
so difficult as to be practically i'm
possible under anything short Of
actual collision between lawbrcakers
and the enforcement officials.
The provisions intended to pre-
vent tax lodging which were written
into the internal revenue law re-en-
acted on November 23, 1921, which
re-enactment was sustained by the
supreme court, supply in detail near
ly every condition necessary to he
embodied in permit in order TO
bring the source OF illCG2. !iq:o: c:i-
der control. Necessary additions can
easily be supplied.
Among the conditions should be
revocation of the permit when the
permittee is caught violating the law
supervision of manufacture and az
COS to all parts of the plant day or
night by state or federal cnforce-
ment officers products to be shipped
only at specified times and only after
inspection and stamping at the plant.
Il do not suggest that Pennsylva-
MIA or any other state should be re-
lieved of any part of its duty in law
enforcement but the states should not
be compelled to pick up the birdshot
scattered all over the floor by the
failure OF the federal government to
check the food of illegal liquor at its