Evening star., 1924-12-22
d. c. COURT SCORED
INDRy LAW LAX|Ty
Methodist Publication Prints
Record of Number of
Liquor Cases Here.

Charging that enforcement OF pro-
hibition In Washington 'ls so far
from being perfect that the matter
should be Of serious concern to every
citizen Of the Capital and the Ma
tion." the board of temperance, pro-
hibltion and public morals of the
Methodist Episcopal Church in its
weekly Clipsheet, declares:
"The administration OF the police
courts must improve" and
recommends that probably there
should be an additional Judge who for
the present would give his sole at
tention to the eradication of boot
Logging and rum-running in Wash
ington.
The biggest share of the blame"
says the Methodist board. sis not with
the prohibition unit. Let us
face the facts. Stop bootlegging and
rum running, at least under the very
eye OF the White House and the Capt.
toi."
Urges Better Pay.
Other proposals put forward as
means OF improving the situation in
clude more prohibition agents for the
country contiguous to the capital
and better pay for the agents.
What's the matter with prohi-
bition In the District OF Columbian
the Methodist board asks in big head
lines over a two and half column
article, and goes into the police court
record of two specific cases at length,
After critically reviewing two
specific cases, and referring TO
another Of man in Georgetown"
who was found guilty on all four
counts, sentenced and his sentence
suspended" the Methodist board
sharply suggests:
If there is q real desire to en-
force the prohibition law in the
District OF Columbia and the Nations
Capital, the lesson of these cases is
plain. We must have a judge of q
different type to some who have
served in the past. An undue num-
ber Of continuances should not be per-
mitted. Unjustifed delays in execu-
tion OF sentence should be avoided
The more influence q man has, the
more obligation he is under to OBJ
serve the law.
The administration of the Police
Courts in the District OF Columbia
must improve In the future II the
rise in arrests for drunkenness is 20
be checked, II the murderous racing
OF drink-driven automobiles is to be
stopped and If bootlegging Is to be
Record of Case.
"A record OF one Police Court case
affords a vivid picture of What's the
matter with prohibition in Washing
TOM"
Reviewing then at length the case
or the United States VS.. Mr.. Blank,
the statement sums It up this way:
The man is arraigned, found guilty
and sentenced. The case Is continued
II times and other delays are en-
countered. Presumably there Is q
certain limited time for the perfec-
tion OF an appeal, but seemingly no
appeal was ever perfected, so far as
we can learn from the record.
Nearly a year afterward this de-
fendant. a prominent man, had the
execution OF his sentence suspended
first COUNT, but we are unable to
oS sfo6 Mas- -1ssaasA svsrs ssSHsp1snhded ssHs sr or
executed. 1t Is alleged that after his
sentence liquor directed to this man
was seized from an express COM
pany." The defendant, 1t was said.
was first arraigned in the Police
Court December IL. 1929. and the sem
tence was suspended on the first count
on December T. 1928
The second case cited for criticism
by the Methodist board is that of
The United States VI. Bootlegger."
which was dismissed by the Judge.
with a statement that in the opinion
Of the court Mr.. SBootlegger instead
Of being prosecuted was being per-
secuted by the (prohibition) agents
and the police" Mr. Bootlegger was
arraigned October 90, 1929.
Supporting their contention that
prohibition agents should be better
paid, the statement says the prohibi-
tfon unit, by virtue Of having weeded
out unfit agents" now has available
men Of very high class"
1t is not infrequent," says the
statement, for these men to be called
out for service in the night after a
long and hard days work. Some
times they are sent out in bitter cold
to stand all night beside some still,
waiting for the operators to appear
In the morning. Like the runners OF
Herodotus, they suffer heat and cold.
hunger and thirst. privation of every
character. but they do their duty. and
too frequently while they do their
duty under such conditions, daily fac
Ing the country's most dangerous
enemies. their wives and children
wear threadbare garments and eat