Evening star., 1926-04-23

fact that the population of the Uniteo
States today is about evenly dlVloeo
between urban and rural sections ana
that while the city population is IN
creasing rapidly, in some of the states
the farm population is dropping OIL.
Senator Reed wanted to know
whether Mayor Dever in saying that
the prohibition law could be enforced
through cooperation OF all omclais
had meant that it would be posslDie
to stop liquor traffic in commercial
way or it would be possible to stop
home brewing and distilling.
Three Periods of Prohibition.
"I meant in a commercial way" re-
piled Mayor Dever. The Mayor said
that there had been three periods
since the adoption of national proh1bi-
ton. During the first period, i'm
mediately after the adoption Of the
law, conditions had improved. Dur
ing the second period. he said, law
violators had grown up in great num-
bers and the illicit liquor traffic had
become organized. But the enforce
nent officers had done much against
this traffic. The third period, he said,
now in existence, had seen great de-
velopment in home brew and home
distillery of moonshine.
"Nr. Olsen told this committee he be-
lieved there were 5000 stills in homes
in Chicago" said the mayor. lie
might just as well have SAID lO,OOS
No one knows the number. The fact
is. however. that the use of such stills
in homes is widespread in Chicago
and elsewhere. Mr.. Olsen said that
he would use the police to drive these
stills out of the homes. Apparently
his mind was not operating while his
tongue was clamoring. This Is the
most difficult problem to deal with.
We have no right to go into the homes
of the people with the police. we
must use State warrants, which were
intended only for emergency cases.
If we are going to violate the spirit
Of our own institutions we strike a
blow at the institutions themselves.
Says Crime Is Decreasing.
In conclusion Mayor Dever de-
clared that Chicago is the great
American city. He said that Chicago
ranks thirteenth among the cities or
the United States in the number or
murders committed when the size OF
the population is taken into consld-
Grafton. He said that there Is
Slcduy dGCICttSC III VI bANAN
In reply to questions by Senator
Goff, Mayor Dever said that he had
instructed the police to bring cases
before the Federal courts in Chicago
because prohibition cases can get
more promt attention there. He
admitted that some of the state
courts have not functioned in a sat
isfactory way.
Gen. Andrews drew a picture for
the committee of the work which he
has undertaken for the better enforce
ment of prohibition. He told of the
agreements made with Mexico and
Canada, better to prevent smuggling
across the border, and of the changes
made in the organization of the pro
hibition force. He called the attention
Of the committee to the two bills now
pending in Congress which he has
recommended, one dealing with organi-
zation and the other strengthening
the Volstead act. He said that they had
made strides in controlling industrial
alcohol and preventing it from going
in the bootleg business and that
through the Coast Guard they had
largely put an end to the importation
of liquor and that they had practi
cally dissipated rum row. Through
new regulations regarding sacra-
mental wine, he said, there had been
a reduction of so per cent in the
amount of wine withdrawn for sac
ramental purposes.