The Wrangell sentinel., 1931-01-23
WickerSham Commission Makes Report
TWO MEMBERS ASK REPEAL; i; FOUR FOR MODIFICATION i; TWO FOR FURTHER TRIAL; i; PRESIDENT C0NCURS

WASHINGTON, D. O., Jan. 20- The majority of President Hooyer's law enforcement commission, find prohibition sufficiently wanting to warrant a change, but they are un- able to agree on what this change should be, according to the report of Chairman George Wickersham. Two asked for outright repeal of the Eighteenth Amendment; four favor ed modification; two were for fur ther trial of prohibition with some form of referendum in the mean time. The three remaining mem- bers of the commission advocated continued trial of the prohibition laws with intensified enforcement.
 Although Lehman and Baker rec commended repeal, the commission as a whole rejected the idea of repeal of the Eighteenth Amendment or restoration of the saloon. The re- port also opposed modification, the permission of light wines and beer, after declaring that there is no ade- quate observance of enforcement of the dry laws. It recommended increase of department of justice and customs bureau personnel to prosecute violators of the law, and asked that the law itself should be amended to clarify the status of cider or fruit juices by making a uniform provision for fixed alcholic content.
 The idea of more latitude for fed eral searches and seizures was op- posed. The commission proposed that there be no limits made to doc tors in the amount of liquor pre- scriptions written.
 Government Control
 Judge Anderson of Virginia of fered government-controlle liquor sales as the solution. and called the Swedish system by far the most sue- cessful of any yet devised for liq- uor control. Under the plan, con- gress would create a bipartisan commission to regulate all dealings and to fix prices. Congress also would create a national corporation, all stock to be privately owned, to manufacture, import, export and transport all alcoholic beverages sold in the United States
 Under the arrangement recom- mended by Judge Anderson, no liq- our could be shipped into states de- sirfng prohibition. Local option could be established by communi- ties as we'll as by states.
 The report of the entire commits sion said that the price at which liquor can be obtained in the Unit ed States proves that the law is not being enforced.
 The report declared that regime of corruption has arisen under pro- hibition, but that it has been slmi- lar to other eras which are likely to follow wars. The commissioners said that the present field of cor ruption is operating on a larger area and is more extensive than anything ever before.
 Comments on Corruption
 The detailed statement declared that prohibition enforcement has been reasonably emancipated from political interference, but that it has been impaired because some of the larger communities have refused to permit law enforcement.
 Benefits, including increased eff ficiency of labor, the elimination of blue Monday, the decrease in indus trial accidents, the increase of sav- ip0c aDd tho dnpraaca Of charity dnz mands, all seen under prohibition, were cited.
 President Hoover sent the law en- forcement report to Congress with qualified praise. He said that he concurred in the finding of the com mission that the prohibition amend ment should remain, but he did not recommend any present effort to amend it.