ENFORCING LIQUOR LAWS

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXI, Issue 18706, 12 May 1924, Page 9

ENFORCING LIQUOR LAWS

PHILADELPHIA CRUSADE TOTAL OF 39,000 ARRESTS. MUCH ALCOHOLIC INSANITY. BOOTLEGGERS SELL POISON. MEDICAL MEN'S . COMMENT. By Td«graphi-Preßa Association—Copyright. , .' • (Received 6.5 p.m.). A. and N.Z. " NEW YORK. May* 10. Figures in connection with General Smedley Butler's prohibition enforcement crusade at Philadelphia reveal the fact that 39,000 arrests were made for various offences ] during the last four months. This represents 5000 more than in the same period of 1923. Arrests for intoxication head the list with 18,869 cases, an increase of 4000. The report further cites' 1818 arrests for illegal possession of liquor, 781 for illegal sale and 112 -for illegal transportation. Medical authorities, commenting on the returns, deplore the increase in the number of ,cases ofi alcoholic insanity due to enforced patronage of bootleggers whose produce is often liquid poison. On the other hand prohibition advocates .assert that alcoholic insanity is all that can deter wilful violators of the law. General Smedley Butler, of the United States Marines,'received the permission of the President, Mr. Calvin Coolidge, in January to become director of public safety of Philadelphia upon the Mayor's; invitation. .He at' once proceeded .to whip the police force into shape, threatening to discharge every officer who permitted illicit liquor establishments or disorderly 5 hours ' v within ■ his * jurisdiction. General Butler, after 48 -hours' activity, discharged eight police : captains. He announced that 900 saloons had been : shut. Hundreds of persons were arrested but the magistrates discharged a large number and warned ~: General ; Butler against" high-handed proceedingß. '' General Butler declared he would not want ; the job again for 1,000,000 dollars, but would continue in office for 'a year. >' - REPUBLICANS' POLICY. ANTI-PROHIBITION PLANK. CONTROVERSY L AROUSED. Australian and N.Z. Cable 1 Association.(Reed. 6.5 p.m.) • NEW YORE, May 10. Declaring that, the _ Republican Party would lose 11 important States, failing a v declaration' on prohibition, Dr. J Nicholas Murray Butler, president of the Colum- , bia University, advocated the 'adoption' of an anti-prohibition plank in- the Re-" r publican platform for 1924. - r.l ■"■ ~> . Mr. Wheeler, General Counsel to. the Anti-Saloon League, : replying to Dr. Butler's suggestion - ■■: has ( issued, a - state--; ment in which he states that no party; ' can slip into power on a "wet" plank" If as Dr. Butler, claimed iit would take a -'wet" plank to save 11 States for ' the Republicans what, he asks, would ..it take to save twice as many. " drv " States? ■ , , . •"'[' MODIFICATION BILLS. STORM BEFORE COMMITTEE. WOMEN REFORMERS ACTIVE. • ■>■ / \ ;.;. ;.,; .'; i _.--;, :i-, : - ":>•■ ■-.;,, .■'■■■ .:.;:,,> '■:■: '-'■■;■. .; ■:■:.;■-' ~'■ Australian and N.Z. Cable Association. (Reed. 6.5 p.m.) r;; ' NEW YORK, May 9. '■ On the resumption of , the hearing by the Judiciary Committee of;, the House of Representatives of the , 56 identical beer bills, which. aim at a modification of the Volstead Act* a stormy session was held. , The proceedings were characterised Si ;; by charges, counter charges and> denials. ■ ' 5 '■<'-, The room, crowded with ?women vlpro-; hibition leaders and agitators, /•; was plunged into disorder when a New. ; York member ,of •> the House of Representatives made personal charges against Mr.' Wheeler, general counsel for . the Antisaloon League. The latter had requested permission to file a ' statement \ tot, record, but the member objected,; declaring that Mr. Wheeler when v previously accorded the privilege inserted : matter extremely vicious and untruthful/ He "added that he had witnesses to prove this. ''"';'■ Mrs. Ella Boole, vice-president' of the Women's Christian, Temperance ! • Union, denounced Governor Smith of New York. She,asserted that he once:statedhe would sign anything to ; bring.' back the "glass with foam on. the top." Several /■ members'-of - , the House, of Representatives energetically; denied this.' In testifying before the"; committee, Mr. Wheeler added: ■ Why should' Congress ; favourably consider fl legalising ; beer containing 2.7 .- per .' cent, of /';alcohol,';■ when three-fourths of tins" States" forbade lit Beer, he iswd, caused I! muchv crime, (insanity, and. pauperism among . saloon patrons. Furthermore, in the past, breweryowned saloons were centres of vice and ■ corruption", but, when' -they stopped " the legal "sale oi beer,' the ratios Of death, poverty and (crime- declined; -They ='had in ; the four "dry" years 873,000 fewer deaths, 2000 fewer arrests for drunkenness, and a 74 f per cent. > decrease in poverty due to intemperance. : ' ""' ' The Federal Grand Jury has: issued an : indictment charging 31 individuals and a corporation.: with conspiring to . violate the Prohibition Act and defraud the Gov- ; ernment ' of : liquor taxes allegedly aggre- . gating more than : £100,000. The Federal Attorney, Mr. Lemon, said a manufacturing; corporation engaged in >' making a' hair' tonic ; had sold ; alcohol to bootleggers in Western and mid-Western cities since 1921. .*. v