Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-04-09
OFFICIALS DIVIDED
OVER RUM SEARCH
WARRANT PLANS
Youngquist Says Howell Pro-
poSaI InadviSabIe for
District.
OPPOSITE SIDE is TAKEN
BY PROHIBITION COUNSEL
Committee Takes New Dry Bill
Under Amusement After
Public Hearing.

The Senate District committee has
taken under advisement the Howell
local prohibition bill, following yester-
days public hearing, with chief inter-
est centering around what the decision
will be on the search warrant feature,
which brought divided opinions from
two law enforcement officials who testi-
fed, Assistant Attorney General @. A.
Youngquist and James j. Britt, general
counsel for the Prohibition Bureau.
Most of the testimony at the hearing
related to the provision under which
warrants to search dwellings could be
obtained upon information of the pres
ence of still or knowledge that liquor
had been taken to or from a dwelling,
on which point officials appearing be-
fore the committee disagreed. Under
the national prohibition law search
warrants for dwellings are issued only
upon evidence of a sale. Senator
Howell is sponsoring the extension of
the search warrant rule here because
he believes bootleggers are using resi-
Dental property as StorehouSeS for
their supplies.
Assistant Attorney General Young
quist described the search warrant sec
ton as "inadViSable" and told the COM
mittee he believed enactment of the
bill without that feature would greatly
improve enforcement work in Washing
ton. The remainder of the bill would
clothe the entire police force with
power to enforce prohibition, which au-
thority is now restricted to 80 members
Of the force, and re-enact portions OF
the Sheppard local dry law.
Says Extension Necessary.
Mr.. Britt, speaking in support of the
bill, told the committee he believed an
extension of the search warrant law is
necessary.
A new search warrant provision also
won the support of Sergt. George M
Little of the dry squad of the Police
Department, who agreed with Senator
Howell that bootleggers use residential
properties as storehouseS, from which
they deliver wet goods without ever
making sales on the premises.
Sergt. Little also suggested that the
committee consider giving enforcement
officers more authority in stopping and
searching automobiles suspected of
transporting liquor.
Sergt. oscar Letterman, head of the
vice squad, told the committee the de-
partment's greatest difficulty is to get
the proper type Of men to make pur-
chases at suspected establishments.
Opening the hearing, Assistant Attor-
ney General YoungquisC testified the
search warrant clause would create a
lack of uniformity in Federal legislation
on the subject Of prohibition.
Senator Jones, Republican. of Wash
ington pointed out the Howell bill
would be Federal legislation only in
the sense that Congress acts on it, but
emphasized that in the case Of Wash
ak1 10 N1,A nnSk nj
State Legislature and has greater au-
Legislature possesses.
Controversial Question.
Senator Vandenberg Republican. of
Michigan inquired If lack of uniformity
was the only objection, to which Mr..
YoungQuist replied that search and
seizure is a highly controversial ques-
ton, and that, perhaps, 1T would be bet
ter to proceed in improving enforcement
along other lines that would not lead
to controversy.
The Assistant Attorney General, who
Is in charge of prohibition work in the
department, declared there has been a
constant improvement in enforcement
during the past several years.
Senator Capper, who presided, In
was chiefly interested in the effective
enforcement of prohibition in the Dis
trict, and added:
Are we to understand this Is not
necessary in the District" referring to
the Search-warrant clause.
Mr.. YoungquiSt said it Is probably
not possible to get 100 per cent enforce
ment either in the District or elsewhere
but that at present there is reason
ably effective enforcement and improv-
ing constantly. I think the provisions
of the bill other than section 10 (the
Search-warrant section will greatly i'm
prove enforcement in the District"
Then you feel an additional search
and seizure law is not necessary here?'
pressed Senator Howell.
81 think it is inadvisable, Senator -
Mr.. YoungquiSt replied.
Senator Howell asked Mr.. Young
quist If he did not think there should
be some way to reach bootleggers who
may be using dwellings as Storehouses
without selling on the premises. Mr.
Youngquist said any person moving
liquor from such a place could be
charged with transportation, which has
been made a felony under present law
Judge Britt told the committee Sena-
tor Howell's bill is not as strong as the
Sheppard law, which made Washing
ton dry before the Volstead act.
Enforcement Marvellous"
Answering a question by Senator
Howell as to whether he regarded an
extension of the present search war
rant law as necessary in the District
Judge Britt said he did. He added that
the law should be extended to cover
cases where there is reason to believe
a still Is operated
A part of Judge Britt's testimony
was taken up with a discussion of the
effectiveness OF prohibition from a ma
tional standpoint, as members of the
committee asked him questions about
the situation throughout the country
The witness declared the amount of
enforcement now being accomplished is
"a marvel when you compare the num-
Der of men with the area to be COW
cred"
In response to a series of questions
put by Senator Howell, Sergt. Little OF
the Police Department agreed with the
Senator that bootleggers make a prac-
tice of storing supplies in residential
properties, from which deliveries are
made without any selling on the pres
iSeS.
Sergt. Little told the committee that
with respect to the task of stopping the
transportation of liquor In automobiles.
the enforcement officers have difficulty
because of the legal requirement that
they must have probable cause for stop
ping cars.
Judson King to Address Club,