Evening star., 1927-12-05

port was one that the law be amended
to permit speedy removal from one
district to another of persons indicted
for Federal crime. Another would au-
thorize the presence Of a stenographer
before grand juries, and still another
would increase the number of Federal
judges.
Trials Fall or.
In her report on prohibition en-
forcement, Mrs. Mabel Walker Willie
brandt, Assistant Attorney General.
said that approximately S6,O00,000 in
Federal judgments, lines and penalties
We're imposed during the year, and
there was "a definite increase in the
percentage of fines collected"
The records showed very substan-
tial increase in civil court business
and a noticeable decrease in criminal
business under the national prohibi-
ton act, she said. The aggregate
amount of judgments in favor of the
United States was 1852, ,097, or S34,612
more than the year before, while crimi-
nal prosecutions showed penalties of
$5,646,709, or about 81. ,S4S less than
the previous year.
Trials by jury as well as pleas Of
guilty fell off during the year, while
the number of prosecutions instituted
and later dismissed remained about
the same.
Rum Base Changed.
Rum runners, the Assistant Attor.
ney General said, had changed their
chief base from Canada because of
the new Canadian regulations, and on
the East Coast were conducting eX-
tensive operations from the French
Islands of st. Pierre and Miquelon, and
{laA -
menting with the Society Islands as
q base.
The main source OF smuggled
liquor, she added, was by means of
small, speedy American craft that
operated from foreign ships and
oceanic bases and were able to elude
Government craft by their speed. Dur
ing the year 800 American rum-run-
ming vessels We're seized, compared
with $50 for last year.
J. Edgar Hoover, director Of the
Bureau of Investigation, the police
section Of the department, reported
that his bureau had procured during
the year 10 life sentences, other SEN
tences aggregating 1000 years, fines
totaling S1.149 ,045 and recovered prop
erty valued at S6,014,483. His bureau
operated on an expense Of $2,012,860,
the smallest since 1928.
Urges More Judges.
Attorney General Sargent in speak
ing of the cumbersome machinery
which is set up to obtain the pres
ence Of an indicted person before the
court Of jurisdiction, recommended
that legislation be enacted that would
allow criminal warrants from any Fed
eral court based on indictments to be
serviceable in any place within United
States territory. The arrested person
would be entitled to bail in the district
where arrested.
Mr.. Sargent concurred in the recon-
mendations of senior circuit. judges
for additional Federal judges to re-
lfeve the congested courts and urged
Congress to allow additional district
judges for the southern and eastern
districts of New York, the southern
district of Iowa and a Judge for the
second circuit, which includes Ver-
mont, New York and Connecticut.
In advocating a law to permit
stenographers in grand Jury rooms,
the Attorney General declared: "It
becomes highly desirable that an ac-
curate stenographic record Of the
testimony of witnesses before the
grand jury be always available and
it is a necessary aid to the better ad.
ministration Of justice"