Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-10-21
WASHINGTON LEADS
46 STATES IN RUM
VIOLATION CASES
New York and Kentucky Top
District, Which Has 1861
During 1929.
JUSTICE DEPARTMENT
REPORTS DOCKET CUT
Convictions Numbered s22. but
Fines Are Raised From
$s2,1o2 to $s3,3o7.

The District of Columbia ranks ahead
of 46 States for number of new prohis
bition cases instituted during the fiscal
year ended, June 80, 1929, being. ex-
ceeded only by New York State and
Kentucky, according to figures made
public by the Department of Justice.
This city ranks well up to the top in
this regard despite the fact that there
was sharp decline in the number of
cases instituted here, the figures for
the District dropping from 1880 for
the fiscal year 1928, to 1861 for 1929.
For the Nation as a whole, the new
cases jumped from 55,72o to 56,786.
The largest number of cases i1sti-
tuted in any one judicial district in
the country for 1929 was in the
southern district of New York State,
including New York City. where there
were 1916 cases. The next largest
number in district was in the eastern
district of Kentucky, 2945 cases. The
third with 2,295 and the District OF
Columbia fourth with 1861 cases.
Fines On Increase.
Convictions and pleas in the District
of Columbia also showed a sharp falling
off from 1898 in 1928 to 1922 in 1929,
but the amount of fines assessed here
increased during the same period from
$50, 102.50 to 49,, 307,
Convictions and pleas decreased for
the country at large from 1880 to
47.100. but there was an increase in the
amount of fines assessed, from $7,303,~
563.28 to stats, 300 40.
Statistics from the Department Of
Justice show the irregular increase in
the number of prohibition cases insti-
tuted since the beginning of national
prohibition in 1921, when there were
20, ia cases. In 1922 the total increased
to 34,984; in 1923 there was q further
increase up to 49,021; in 1924 there was
sharp decline in the number of cases,
the total for that year being 45,S7S. In
1925, however, the total number of cases
was 0,743, or more than thousand in
excess OF the total for 1923, and about
1000 in excess of the total for 1924.
again, in 1925, there was a drop in the
total number of cases to 44,492. and a
still further drop in 1927 to 40, 7O9. In
1928, however. there was an increase of
more than $4,000, compared with the
previous year, or total for that year of
55.729, which was the largest total for
any year up to that time For the fiscal
year ending June 30, 1929. however
there was an increase of about 1000
cases. compared with 1928. the total for
the last fiscal year being Sc, 1856.
interesting comparisons are found in
the total fines assessed in the various
districts. The total for the Northern
district OF New York for the last fiscal
year was S420,927, as against $45l ,424 in
the previous fiscal year. However, IN
the Eastern district of Kentucky, where
the total number of cases instituted dur
ing i s.d tne last year was 2,s45, as against
2,S60 IN the previous fiscal year, the ag-
gregate fines assessed last year, $444,7I2.
was about $4,000 in excess of the
amount assessed for the greater number
OF cases in the previous year.
% Cases in Kansas.
The smallest number of cases insti-
tuted in any district outside of the
districts Of Alaska and Porto Rico were
IN the States of Kansas, North Dakota
vermont and Utah. In the last fiscal
year In the State of Kansas there were
70 cases instituted as against Il cases
In the previous year, whereas the
amount of fines imposed in Kansas in
creased from $500, the total for the
nScal year ending June 80, 1928, to
$2,985 in the last fiscal year.
In Maryland the number of cases
instituted decreased from 1887 in 1928
to 1924 IN 1929, while convictions and
pleas decreased during the same period
from 1900 to PSI. and fines decrease
from S181,740 to $124.216.6O
In the eastern district of Virginia
cases instituted fell off from 81 to l04.
convictions and pleas increased from n
to go. but fines fell off from SIl,O25 tc
$4,150.
In the western district of Virgin;r
cases instituted decreased from 3O8 t
242; convictions and pleas fell off from
1853 to PIT. and fined dropped from SPA
634 to $19,025.