Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1926-09-17

toxicating liquor. 1t Is also his pol
icy to leave to the State Courts
wherever possible, local police cases
or cases where the offenders can be
more effectually punished by the
State Courts. 1t Is evident that ex-
cept for petty cases of home brewing.
intoxicating liquor does not originate
within the State of Maine.
My conception of the task of the
customs force, he said. is threefold.
First, II is our duty to accomplish,
so far as possible, complete coordi-
nation of all Federal forces now
available along the coast and border.
This is no simple task for 1t involves
at least six cabinet departments be-
sides the Treasury Department under
which we operate. Substantial prog
ress has been made, however, In this
respect.
Second, It is our duty to seek and
foster the utmost cooperation with
State and local police officers. Among
the twelve coast and border counties
in Maine ] know Of no instance
where the sheriff is not apparently
seeking to do ~his duty honestly.
There are varying degrees of efficien-
cy Of course for sheriffs are human
| like other men. We have found 1t
of the very greatest advantage to
work closely in harmony with the
sheriffs and their deputies and have
turned over scores of cases to the
State courts for prosecution.
In the third place having secured
| reasonable cooperation between Fed
eral and state officers we may prop
erly expect the help of citizens in the
prevention of smuggling across our
coast and border. Our request fof
help from citizens Is three fold. First
we ask that the public encourage
and appreciate faithful officers. Few
| people have perhaps stopped to real
! ize tile severe requirements which
must be met In the customs service
| First of all we must have absolute
| integrity. Only the other day one
| of our officers was offered $4,000
merely for the assurance that the
patrol of which he was captain
| would avoid one certain road one
night each week.
Then we must have officers who
are physically strong and agile and
| absolutely without fear. Our officers
| must also be tactful and gentleman
| ly because on the average out Il
| 5000 automobiles we have met and
examined have encountered only one
offender. The other 2999 are tourists
| including some of the finest people
! in the United States. We must be
prepared to stop the offender at al
| hazards but we must treat the in
| nocent tourist courteously.
In the second place we ask the
| public to give us information of the
activities of suspected violators. In
! this connection / want to acknowl-
| edge our obligation to the members
of your organization from whom we
have received more useful pieces OF
! information than from any other
! one group.
Collector Milliken states that lie
| has received splendid cooperation
| from the governor, from the State
! highway police, the commissioner OF
| fisheries, from the wardens, pays a
| high compliment to District Attor-
ney Dyer, and emphasizes the need
| of help in creating n public senti-
.ment against violation of law. He
| says Maine has more prohibition
| agents in proportion TO popula tion
| thu have been assigned to any other
| state. He believes thai conditions
| of enforcement in Maine especially
| in the eastern part Of the State were
never better.