Evening star., 1926-04-08
DENIAL OF JURY TRIAL in MINOR
RUM CASES ASKED BY BUCKNER
Makes Appeal Before Senate Inqurers for More
Courts and Better Pay for Prohibition Agents.
Cites Failure of Present System.

''and | regard those II courts as a
minimum basis to enforce the law In
that territory and for that vast mum
ber of people
II the trial by jury is kept, Mr..
Buckner said he would need IS addl-
tional Federal judges In his district,
the southern, alone. '1f the prohlbi-
ton law should be repealed tomor-
row, we would need six additional
judges to conduct the jury trials.
Holds I,5O0 Agents Needed.
minimum Of 1,50t prohibition
agents should be provided for the
southern district of New York to
survey, among other duties, the activi-
ties of the 1000 people who hold
permits 70 buy liquor. Mr.. Buckner
urged. The salaries, now 81 800 at
the beginning and 81 200 al the max
imum are not living wages for a
man with wife and child in New
York. Yet there are y number Of
applica nts for the job.
Why" asked Senator Reed as
the room again rang In laughter.
Why, what" asked Mr.. Buckner.
why do they want jobs that don't
pay d living wage"
'As one man told me, he enjoyed
the work"
Opportunities make money"
IF l knew that, Senator, I'd
prosecute them"
What salary do you think there
should be to put them beyond tempta
tion?' asked the Missouri Senator?
Would Have $3.50 Wage.
"My position is that man who
works for the Government ought TO
be paid q salary which will enable
him TO live respectfully. think the
minimum ought TO be $3.50
Haven't some of them manifest ed
marked prosperity
II shall not go into details about
The agents" he replied.
We've only arrested two since
came into Office. A man told me It
was hard TO get the facts on them
J told one person ! wouldn't paddock
his place If he would tell me to whom
he paid money for protection.
Says Life Is Menaced.
He said i wouldn't think of it.
MY life would be at stake Another
man said he had paid $4,000 for pro
lection. Give me the evidence and
| II not prosecute YOU. | said. You
can put me in Jail TO the utmost limit
of TIE law he said i paid to some
gangsTers who take care of my truck
ing. They give me protection. II is
much easier for me to go TO Jail than
to assist In this investigation and find
myself bumped Off Actually" CON
tinued Mr.. Buckner. that man went
to jail instead of telling me the names
OF two of the gangsters."
Mr. RnCknar jjd ,,ot
uniform pay scale for prohibition
agents. but did think that in a citv
the size of New York the salary
should be higher.
Mr. Buckner closed his testimony
with an appeal for modification of the
Volstead law as bait" to New York
state TO cooperate with the Federal
Government in the enforcement of the
amendment
Bernnan Statement Filed
Julian Goldman. representing the
vets, filed a report of committee
from COOK County and the City of
Chicago. headed by George F.. Bren.
nan, Democratic national committee.
man and candidate for Senator on a
wet ticket, and Anton ]. Cermak.
president of the Cook County Com.
missioners. Mr.. Brennan's statement
said we are indebted to the Vol
stead act for increase in drunkenness
increase in immortality, disrespect for
law, corruption among officials sworn
to uphold the law. the bootlegger and
the rumrunner. Increase in murder.
Increase in insanity, poison LIQUOR,
moonshine deaths and blindness" The
report was accompa MED by statistics
purporting to show vast percentages
of increase in crimes and degeneracy
in 1925 over 1918.
Sums Up Testimony.
Summing up his testimony as the
hearing adjourned today. Mr.. Buck.
ner declared he believed the function
of the Federal Government is to deal
in an auxiliary way with the States in
the enforcement of the prohibition
law. The enforcement of this law, he
said. should be on a partnership basis
between the Federal and State gov
ernments, and that If the States seem
unwilling to enter the partnership
for enforcement on the Federal Gov
ernment basis then the Federal Gov
ernment should try enforcement on
the basis Of the States.
Asked by Attorney Goldman if he
had read one of the pending modifica-
ton bills proposing to allow the State
TO nix the percentage of alcoholic con-
tent on which prohibition would be
based in each State. Mr.. Buckner ask.
ed to be excused from commenting a.,
any particular bill. pointing out that
50 much depends upon the exact
phraseology. He said he thought the
committee could apply his testimony
TO any OF the bills 1t may consider.
Referring briefly to the proposal of
having each State determine the
alcoholic content to be used as a
guide In enforcing the Federal pro-
hloition law. Mr.. Buckner said he