The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1926-01-01
RIKH0FF SEES
need FOR DRY
LAW CHANGES
Cites Difficulties in Enforc-
ing Prohibition in In
dianapoIiS.

t PDIldAit QuSSL4uAlS WlllSil SeeiA W us
cussed today. During the year 1925
have tried through this depart
nient to cope honestly with the in
fractions Of the law, as / have the
three preceding years Of my admin
tstration. A discussion of prohibi-
ton and bootlegging cannot be made
for 1925 without considering the
previous years of prohibition.
TO every fair minded, unprecedented
and clear-thinking person there are
salient features of the prohibition
law which cannot be escaped. Let
us consider them one by one.
! am not In favor of the return Of
licensed saloons. Nine out Of every
ten persons who read this will agree
with me. If they were questioned,
ninety-nine out of every husdred per
sons would agree with me. There is
no denying that home conditions
generally, and specifically in the
poorer sections of our city, are
better since the corner saloon has
lone. Luckily-or was it guided by
z1 evidence ?-the saloons left before
UuE 5JLpSIo WclC AlllOu Will iiOLOA
cars. Have you ever stopped to
think how safe you would be on the
streets il parties Of motorists could
stop at any corner and buy round
OF drinks? In the days of horses
and bicycles the speed demon which
seems 20 infect those who have had
"one too many" could not do the
damage which it can do now with
the high powered automobiles.
RebeIlious Opinion
All citizens in our country are not
in sympathy with the prohibition
law as it now stands. Public
sentiment to some extent is re-
bellious against it. That is evident
from the large number who violate
this law. Many who would never
violate any other law do violate the
liquor law. This shows that some
thing is wrong, either with the
law or each and every individual
who violates It, A law which will
satisfy the majority Of the people,
enforced to the letter, will make, in
my estimation, prohibition a success.
This means concession on both sides.
During the year 1925, to the date
of Dec. 10, this department made
2,017 arrests for blind tiger. OF that
number 621 were convicted in our
city court. Just about 81 per cent.
There were 1855 arrests for drunken
ness. OF that number 1858 were
convicted, or about 70 per cent.
There were 1888 arrests for operating
"A a motor vehicle under the influence
# Of liquor--a charge which is on our
&%Atatute books today as mis-
W NmeanprssMhen it should be a felony
with heavy penalty Of this num-
Der there were 236 convictions, or
ssbout So per cent 1t is entirely too
hard for my officers, using their
vernacular to make a case" in court.
There are too many legal loop holes.
Reader, do you think that man
should be staggering drunk" be-
fore you would consider him unfit to
operate motor vehicle?
Cites Canada
BY way of comparison, our neigh
boring country to the north, Can
ada, has practically rid itself Of the
charge OF drunkenness. To be ar
rested on the street or in a public
place drunk means one year in Jail.
Vet government distilled liquor is
sold by the government between GER
tain hours Of the day. This liquor
is sold mainly for medicinal pur-
poses and its use is respected by the
citizens. In private, I have had
many Of the best doctors admit to
me that for some sicknesses certain
liquor is the best remedy that can
be used. In Canada there are no
saloons and beer ard light wines
are sold in cafes and restaurants
only when food is ordered.
The violations of the liquor law
are doing more damage to our boys
and girls-the men and women,
fathers and mothers Of tomorrow.
We hear and read so much about
what will become of our younger
generation" Is it beginning to get
disgusting to you? Perhaps. The
fact that the situation is bad enough
to cause so much discussion is rea-
son enough why we men at the head
~SOI our nOul0S, CITY, SOuIlly, OldlS
and Nation should do something
about it. twenty years ago if a
young man came to dance or any
other social gathering with liquor on
his breath he was put out" Today
the young man with flask on his
hip, even If it is filled with white
mule too vile to feed to a dumb ami
NAL without violating the Humane
Society law, is the popular boy. This
is true in all classes from the lowest
to the highest-in the public dance
hall or at the formal dances of our
high schools and colleges
Youth Not to Blame
i cannot say blame the boys and
girls themselves entirely. They are
carried along by the ways of the
time ooh everybody does it," thew