Evening star., 1934-02-04

T II 81 1 dSC.J
unit was not under civil service, Cum
mlngS said:
1T is now technically a part OF our
division of investigation, and it Is un-
desirable to have in one division diff
ferent types of people-and as the
alcoholic beverage unit is diminish
ing unit which might ultimately dis
appear, it would seem better to do
nothing that might impair the use
fulneSS or efficiency OF the division
of investigation, which is permanent
and growing"
In discussing the justice appropria-
ton bill on the floor of the House
Friday, Representative Oliver, Demo-
crat. Of Alabama, chairman of the
committee which reported the bill,
read the following excerpt from the
report:
Special attention is called to the
reduction Of $1.756,630 in the para
graph of the bill entitled alcoholic
beverage unit This reduction repre-
sents the budget estimate for the fis-
cal year 1885 for the field personnel
of the unit. commonly known as the
investigative and enforcement agency
After the repeat of the eighteenth
amendment it was apparent that
there was no existing law, other than
United States statutes relating to the
enforcement of the revenue laws, that
could provide any semblance of ade-
quate authority for the field person.
mel of the alcoholic beverage unit to
function effectively and efficiently
In recognition of this fact, the
Treasury Department was asked, and
has specially deputized, the field per-
sonnel of the beverage unit to act as
agents Of the Treasury Department in
the enforcement of the revenue laws.
One Department Advocated.
Adequate funds for this personnel
to July next are carried in the Depart
ment of Justice appropriation bill for
the fiscal year 1884 and the Treasury
Department has recently had released
to it by the budget director about
s1,173 900 for the employment of addi-
tional Treasury field personnel.
The committee is convinced that
the personnel charged with the duties
Of enforcing the revenue laws should
be under one department. and from
information submitted to it feels that
such personnel should be in and
directly under the Treasury Depart
nlent.
Since the committee was further
informed that this matter has only
recently been brought to the Presi-
dents attention and that he would
very likely take definite action relative
thereto at an early date, 1t was felt
that no appropriation should now be
carried in the appropriation bill for
the Department of Justice for the
field investigation work of this agency
for the fiscal year 1885"
Coincidently. Representative Taber.
member of the committee, announc-
ed that most of the cut of $4,000, 900
recommended for the justice appro-
priation for 1885 represents the re-
duction of dry activities. To offset
this slash. the House was told, a sup
Elemental estimate will have to be
made for the Bureau of Internal
Revenue
1he present Personnel OF the Al
coholic Beverage Unit numbers a
little more than loo. most of these
employees being field Investigators
If an executive order transfers the
investigative work of the unit to the
Treasury, it is expected that many
of these employees would be taken
over by the Internal Revenue Bureau
There is no assurance. however, that
the Treasury will want to make use
OF the present personnel
The chief duties of the unit under
the repeal amendment are to inveSti-
gate violations of the liquor revenue
laws and to protect dry States from
invasion of liquor from adjoining wet
States. While the latter activity is
not strictly a Treasury function, the
two types Of investigations are so
closely allied that it would be difficult
to conduct them independently, it is
pointed out.