Evening star., 1933-01-22
FUND
ASKED IN HEARING
Mitchell Opposes NuIIifying
Law Still on Books by Cut
ting Supply Bill.

Denouncing any attempts to "scuttle
and nullify" prohibition by withdrawing
appropriations while the prohibition
laws still are on the statute books, At
torney General Mitchell has called on
congress to continue to enforce pro-
hibition until it is repealed
ieStl1ylng before the subcommittee
OF the House Appropriations during
closed hearings on the Department of
Justice appropriation bill. the attorney
general reiterated his suggestion that
whatever changes are to be made in
the prohibition law should be made
as promptly as possible The testi-
mony was made public today.
Lively questions were debated at the
hearing during testimony, with Repre-
sentative Tinkham, Republican wet of
Massachusetts,, holding forth at length
to criticize drinking by prohibition
agents, the hunt by prohibition agents
Tor Col. Raymond Robbins, while At
torney General Mitchell and Col. A.
W. w. Woodcock, director Of prohibi-
ton. stoutly defended their positions.
Mine Agents Killed.
Enforcement of prohibition is be-
coming more and more hazardous in re-
cent months, it was developed, with
testimony from Col Woodcock to show
that nine agents had been killed in
line of duty during the year, and six
OF his men killed or murdered since
July l of last year. During the year.
Col. Woodcock reported that 13 citizens
were killed by our men in their en-
forcement of this law"
Il have tabulated here, giving an
account of the circumstances under
which each Of these killings took place" :"
said Col. Woodcock, referring to the
killing Of citizens by prohibition Of
ficers," and may say that do not
believe that in any more than one of
those cases have the State authorities
felt that the killing was unjustified,
ana had begun q prosecution"
Explaining use of firearms by agents,
Col. WoodcOck said "the rule has been
vigorously enforced that our agents can
use weapons to protect their lives, or
to protect the life Of some one with
them. but they are not allowed to shoot
as ordinary law officers are. as, for
instance. to stop a fleeing fugitive or
something Of that sort We would
rather catch him in some other way
than shoot him. I think that we are
enforcing much more rigorous rule
than is usually applied to other police
officers"
Would Make Two Changes.
II We commence to make any
change in prohibition" said the attor-
ney general. two things are desirable
from the standpoint of the law en-
forcement officer; eliminating. of
course, ill-considered and hasty action
l think what changes are to be made
ought to be made as promptly as pos
sible; and secondly, we ought to COM
mence at the right end and if we are
going to make any change in the pro-
hlbltlon system, we ought to make the
substantive changes in the law before
we commence to eliminate law enforce
ment."
Such changes as are to be made +"
ne said, ought to be made in the
substantive law before they are made
by scuttling or nullifying the laws and
leaving them on the statute books"
II you are in doubt as to what is
gong to happen to prohibition" said
Representative Tinkham, ''let me solve
That by telling you that as far as Fed
eral prohibition is concerned, it is going
to be entirely done away with"
Assuming that to be So" replied
the Attorney General then I think
we ought to maintain the appropriation
until the time does come when Federal
prohibition is done away with, and the
moment it does come, your Attorney
General will cease to expend any
money and will turn the appropriation
back into the Treasury"
Representative Oliver C0ncurs.
While Representative Oliver said he
concurred fully in the views of the
Attorney General, Representative T1nk-
ham pursued the subject further:
You realize, perhaps the present
situation" he said, .'in the next Con-
gress there is very likely to be a strong
attempt to make no appropriation for
prohibition whatever"
Reminding Tinkham that If the ap-
preparation bills pass this year the
problem would not be up for new ap-
preparations until the Winter or Spring
of 1884, the Attorney General said:
Il have heard it said that some effort
was to be made by the National Gov
ernment under the Democratic program
to restrain, under the interstate COM
merce power, all Illicit transportation
of liquor from one State to another
that does not want it, and it is pos
sible you will have to make some ap-
preparation even If you limit Federal
activity to that
Reiterating his conviction that the
appropriations should continue until
changes are made in the law, the At
torney General remarked: 1T is not a
problem will have to deal with. for
which I feel some sense of relief"
In response to Tinkham's suggestion