The Daily Alaska empire., 1929-01-24
THE NOBLE EXPERIMENTS" COST.

On January 16, last, the United States ended it's eighth year of National Prohibition. As the ninth year of-the noble experiment. is ushered in the debate over whether it is a national benefit or national calamity rages more hotly than ever before. and the question to the pos sibility of real enforcement of the Prohibition Law being attained is in greater dispute than in the early days of it's trial.
 When Prohibition first written into the Constitution, Washington newspaper correspond ent wrote despatch to the effect that the law would eventually cost $50,000,000 annually to en- fierce. He was the subject of much ridcule. Today it has almost reached that figure and Dr. J. M. Doran, Prohibition Commissioner, re- gently told the Senate that to enter the police field and properly enforce the law would cost $500, 900 per year
 When Congress made its first enforcement ap- propriation, it gave the Prohibition unit $2,- 200, ,O0O for the first six months, January IT to June 3o 1920. For the fiscal year ending June 30 1921. it then appropriated $6,0O0,00O This year the cost to the Government will reach al most S4OO0O. 900, which covers its outlay in all Federal branches. This is not all of the expense of enforcement All the States, cities and towns have had to increase police budgets in their efforts to aid in the enforcement of the law. To what extent this class of expenditures has grown is almost impossible to calculate but it is un- 
 Some of the sources of Federal expenditures for enforcement are strkingly indicative of the enormous scope of the Governments Dry organ ization. In 1929-30 more than $S 900 900 are required to pay the salaries of it's force of around 3,700, including the field agents. In addition to administrators. deputy administrators, legal ad- visers,- etc. there are 1,236 agents 317 Prohibi- tion inspectors 50 investigators 1,0S1 clerks and innumerable chemists. messengers attorneys, de puties and even laborers.
 The Prohibition Bureau expends $350,000 an nually just buying evidence which is regarded as one of the greatest and most valuable agencies in dry prosecutions Some of the other expen ditures are: communications $13S,30O travelling expenses, $1939,61e; transportation, $1,195,616 hire of automobiles, $S5,000; transportation O. seized liquor by freight, $7,90O hauling of seized liquor $125,000; advertising, $S,00O; rent O buildings and structures, $S66,000; storage O goods not incident to transportation, $105,00
 In all it is estimated that the Federal Govern ment has expended not less than $250000,00t in the past eight years for it's farcicial Prohibi tion enforcement. But that is the smallest par of the cost. In revenue, collected in taxes il pre-Prohibiton days it has lost at least $S,000. 900 0OO Set up against that figure, an inventor. of the eight years of dry law operation reveal that there has been collected $44574,S32 incl dental to enforcement of the law. This include fines In other words. the total amount collecte in eight years is but little in excess of the sun actually expended annually for enforcement, with out considering at all the loss in revenue.
 That is the financial side of the issue. Tn Prohibition inventory reveals other interesting facts During the of yolsteadsm Fedora authorities have made 4S3,474 arrests for volat ing the law; sent 2695S4 persons to jail for total of 26,613 years; seized 3S, ,OS7 automobiles killed 135 persons and suffered the loss of 5 agents, who were killed in action
 Little if anything, has been aceomplishe in enforcement Liquor, mostly bad, fourishe throughout the land If there has been a grea decrease in the ranks of smugglers as caime by the laws ardent champions even they mus admit that home brewing illicit stills and tn of diverted alcohol for making gin hay been steadily on the increaese
 The drys, both righteous and professional proclaim loudly the moral reform attained Thei arguments met by equally loud claims of tn opposition of growing criminal calendars in al kinds of courts. But of the drys honestl studying cold facts, deny the economic loss o debate the of enforcement which is sur to grew larger and larger long as the "nobI experiment" continues.