The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1926-01-01
BOARD OF TEMPERANCE FAV-
ORS STRENGTHENING
MEASURES

lie EA0CutIFC VI ShAO
Board of Temperance, Prohibition
and Public Morals of the Methodist
Episcopal Church, acting on instruc.
ton of the full Board, met at the
Methodist Building, Washington
d. c., on December 17tb and
adopted the following statement of
the situation as. a guide to policy ir
regard to needed legislation tC
facilitate prohibition enforcement.
l. Many of the provisions of the
Cramten Bill have been made prac-
tically effective by executive order
in the reorganization following the
appointment of Assistant Secretary
Andrews. Concentration of author
ity and location of responsibility
have to a considerable extent been
accomplished by this reorganization
but these desirable features are not
based upon legislation. We believe
that Congress should make the es-
sential features of the reorganization
effective by statute.
2. More judicial machinery or
the facilitation of the transfer of
Judges to points needed without re-
quirement of the multiplicity of
consents now necessary is advjs-
able 1t is useless to make cases
which can not be prosecuted.
8. The essential features of the
bill known during the last session
as the Stalker Bill, should become
law This bill did not provide for
unreasonable sentences, although it
did make prison sentences manda-
tory in prohibition violation cases
involving a commercial motive. A
fine, even for first offense, is not a
just or effective penalty in the case
of an actual bootlegger.
A. The bill known as the john
son Bill in the last session, provid
ing for the deportation of alien boot
leggers, should pass. A large pro-
portion of offenders against the
prohibition law are foreigners.
Their abuse of the hospitality offered
should be punished by prompt de-
portation. Registration of aliens by
the Department of Labor for pur-
poses of instruction and help is
highly desirable.
s. The government should have
an excisable interest in the produc-
| ton of cereal beverages in order
that agents may be enabled to go on
the property of brewers for the
purpose of inspection. The pro-
posed reduction in the tax on grain
alcohol calls for careful study and
expression of opinion from expert
sources. The bootlegger at present
uses denatured alcohol which he re
natures. This is expensive, unsatis-
factory and he breaks several laws
in the process, while the character
of the commodity acts as deterrent
to it's consumption. 1t is feared that
reduction of the tax on grain
alcohol may cause the bootlegger to
turn to that commodity as base
for his product.
s. Much more effective execu-
tive control of industrial alcohol i
desirable as renatured alcohol is
now the source of most boo..c9
whiskey distributed in the east.
Z. All alcoholic liquors should
be Invested of property rights, thus
quieting the contention that prohi-
bition is rich mans law. At the
time of the passage of the VolsteaC
act it was doubted whether such a
provision would be held constituted
provision would be held constitu-
tional by the Supreme Court. but it
now appears that this doubt was
| ill-founded.
8. Prohibition agents should be
put under Civil Service, with such
exemptions as the President may see
| fit to make.
g.. Prohibition agents who are
accused locally should be tried by
juries in federal courts. In some
unfriendly localities they are, ar
rested when they appear for execur
ton of their duties. Frequently
when compelled to defend them
selves they are deprived of JUS
tice because of unfavorable local
sentiment.
10. The compensation of prohi-
bition officers is entirely inadequate
and seriously hAndicaps prohibition
enforcement. The salaries of pro-
hibition ADMINISTRATORS should not
be limited by the salaries OF any
otheK officers of the government but
hould be determined by the neces-
tiles of the cash. Unless the ad
ustment can bel made by executive
rider it should be done by legisla-
ion. Extra hazardous work, es-
pecially work involving great de-
mands upon the lOyalty and deyo-