The Daily Alaska empire., 1931-10-26
Sweeping the Augean Stables.
(New York Herald Tribune. ]


 The Herculean labor of cleaning the Augean stables was mere matter of recreation compared with that of drying up New Jersey, or so it must seem to Judge Borquin, of Montana presiding over the Federal District Court at Trenton Judge Borqun has managed to crowd the Mercer County jail with Volstead vioators until he has them sleeping the stone floors of the prison corridors. In the mean time he has learned that there is an Iestimated total of 5000 saloons in Trenton alone, lof at least 10000 in the State If each saloon twenty drinks a day-they couldn't get along on less-that would 100000 violations day, and lin year that would be 75,O0O00o violations The quotation and computations those of United States Attorney Forman, of Trenton. My, my! the court is reported responding. Tt only goes to show the hopslessness of the effort to with this business"
 It is the method that is hopeless, and how hope less it is may learn at greater length from a book just off the press entitled "Ol Rum Rive" " by Colonel Ira L. Reeves Colonel Reeves was Pro- hibton Administrator of New Jersey from Septem- Der 1926 until his resignation in despair and disgust the following May He was one of those former Army officers of splendid record and high stand ing whom General Andrews persuaded to tackle the job of enforcement. Few, if any, are left in the enforcement service today. Almost to man they have surrendered to the bitter dislusionment which is the subject of Colonel Reevess narrative
 Within period of eight months,' he writes, T took part in some four hundred raids on major offenders, such large commercial stills, wildcat
 
 aggregate seizures totalng average of $l000000 a month, yet at the end of that period the only results accomplished were to increase the price and lower the quality of bootleg liquor"-n New Jersey,
 But figures alone do only partial justice to the Homeric futty of the Prohibition effort. One of Colonel Reevass most startling revelations is the fact that the Prohibition service itself "has proved to be training school for bootleggers The turn over in the enforcement personnel is, every one is prodigous. "A large percentage of those who leave it later engage in same phase Iof bootlegging" Very naturally, because while in the service they "learn the ropes of the under world, well the Governments methods in at tempting to apprehend and convict the violators, " hence they are sought after by those engaged in the illicit business" In other words, the more the dry broom is wielded the greater the accumu lation of dirt the broom itself breeds it.
 In the light of this development the old legend Iof the Augean stables becomes almost prophetic and well worth Judge Borquns perusal. Hercules, If remember rightly was persuaded very early and turn the of two swift rivers through the mess similar expedient is the only possible solution of the Prohibition problem. Let "Ol Rum River be channaized and allowed to flow legally and under proper control through the national lstables, and the vast accumulation of crime, cor lruption and intemperance which now befous them will be swept out. Repeal the Eighteenth Amend ment and the effort to cope with this business will become anything but hopeless