Evening star., 1927-03-20
MELLON CREATES
NEW DRY BUREAU
Shake-up Seen in Present
Forces as Secretary Out
lines Program.
BY the Associated Press.

BY the Associated Press.
An order creating a bureau of pro-
hbition and the Office of prohibition
commissioner, and defining the duties
of each, was issued yesterday by
Secretary Mellon. in accordance with
the reorganization act passed during
the closing days of Congress.
The order ls effective April l and
is expected to result in a shake-up of
prohibition forces in that employees
will be brought under civil service.
The commissioner of prohibition,
who probably will be named this
week. will be in charge of the admins
trative end of dry law enforcement,
control OF the policies remaining with
Secretary Mellon and Assistant Sec
retary Andrews, in charge of enforce
ment. An assistant commissioner and
two deputies also will be appointed.
Gets Revenue Force.
In addition to the employees and
agents now attached to the prohibl-
ton unit, the commissioner of prohl-
bition will have control of all deputy
collectors Of internal revenue, store
keepers. chemists and other employees
under the Revenue Bureau who now
are engaged in administrative or en-
forcement work in connection with
the prohibition law and Harrison
antinarcotic act This will result in
a number OF transfers in all districts
of the country.
Employees In the present prohibi-
ton unit will be reappointed by the
Commissioners, subject to the ap-
proval of Secretary Mellon and their
ability to qualify under the civil serv-
ice law The porhibition service is
expected to be on a complete civil
service basis in about six months
and it is expected that many agents
will be dropped or transferred.
Duties of the prohibition commits
sioner will include custody and super
vision of all stocks of liquor and
wines, distilleries, industrial alcohol
plants and warehouses, as well as all
such places where liquor now is
stored under supervision of the In
ternal Revenue Bureau.
Given Wide Powers.
He also will have authority over
manufacture, Withdrawals and distri-
button of intoxicating liquors and
cereal beverages. The power to hold
hearings, issue citations and render
final judgments in cases where there
are grounds for action against per-
mits is vested in him unless modified
or disapproved by the Secretary of
the Treasurey.
Jurisdiction of tax cases arising
under the internal revenue and prohi-
bition laws, where there is no viola
tion of the latter, will be with the COM
missioner of Internal Revenue, who
also will handle cases under the Har-
rison anti-narcotic act. Compromise
proceedings for criminal liability
under that act will be conducted by
the commissioner of prohibition, how
ever. Issuance of revenue stamps re.
mains with the Revenue Bureau.
The prohibition commissioner is
empowered to institute investiga-
tions to require proper returns of all
occupational and commodity taxes,
etc, to be made to collectors of Fed
eral revenue. Seizure and sale of
property, with the exception Of seiz-
ures made by collectors under author
ity Of warrant for distraint, will be
function of the Prohibition Bureau.
Documents and records pertaining
to assessed taxes will remain in pos
session of the Internal Revenue
Bureau.
The congressional act creating the
Prohibition Bureau also set UP q
Bureau Of Customs. with a commits
sioner. assistant and two deputies,
but today's Treasury order made no
reference to it.