Milford chronicle., 1928-12-28

sand now we face critical prob
lens growing out OF our success.
We cannot be too thankful that we
have as Commissioner of PrOhibi.
tiOn DR.. ]. M. DOran, able, ineOr-
ruptible, energetic, with a thorough
understanding of the law and its
possibilities, and for the incumben-
cy as Assistant Secretary of the
Treasury, OF Mr.. Seymour LOwman.
We now hear talk of removing the
Prohibition Unit from the Treasury
Department to the Department OF
Justice. This proposal needs the
most careful consideration. The
task Is so intimately related to the
functions of the Treasury Depart
ment that the prOpriety of a trans
fer seems doubtful. There have
been too many changes i'm the Or
ganizatiOn for efficiency. We would
lose another six months Just at the
time when our people are nervous
and critical. Our present embar-
rasSment Is not so much to get ac-
tfYity on the part of the Prohibition
Unit as to secure the prompt hear
ing OF cases, efficient prosecutions
and Judicial Justice. We need more
men of the type of Francis J. Heen-
ey, whom Theodore Roosevelt en-
ployed when section of the -coun-
try conspired to rob the country of
its timber lands and who so far as
l know never lost a case that he
prosecuted in the governments
name. We are face to face with a
call to advance. That advance is
demanded by the churches, by the
temperance organizations, by the
millions of people who believe that
they have rendered an impressive
mandate to the incoming adminis-
tration to solve the problems OF
prohibition enforcement.
There is another situation that
demands early attention. 1t is
probable that $25,OO0,OOO worth of
liquor this year will be smuggled
across the border from Canada into
the United States. The Canadian
people have shown a commendable
concern. There are three things
we might do. We can let the situa-
tion grow worse and worse; we can
make use of gunboats and armed
watchmen, but the peace lovers of
both Canada and the United States
are proud of that six thousand mile
territory which has marked only
harmony and good will between
two nations. We can secure with
Canada a treaty agreement, pre-
venting the shipment of intoxicating
liquors from that country into the
United States when it is obviously
intended to be used in violation of
law. Such an arrangement has
been made with Cuba and has had
excellent results.
sSs
I'VE ought to organize to demand
greater penalties for violation of |
the law. The Stalker bill providing |
that the five major offenses which |
are actually against the Constitu-
tion itself shall hereafter be felon-
les should pass. Fines do not meet |
the case.
''The incoming administration is |
pledged to a new thing under the
sun. 1t promises the strict obserY-
ance of the law as we'll as its i'm
partial enforcement. The strict OBJ
servance of the law on the part of
public officers means that there will
be no liquors served or kept in the
White House, that members of the
Cabinet and appointees of the Presi-
dent, whether judges, or others
who represent the ideals of the adj
will not trample on
the Constitution, the laws or the
pledges of their party by setting
the example of lawlessness in pub
lie banquets or in private enter
that it will not be toler-
ated hereafter. II