FIGHT FOE LIQUOR.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXIII, Issue 19303, 16 April 1926, Page 11

FIGHT FOE LIQUOR.

PROHIBITION ASSAILED. AMERICAN INVESTIGATION. Australia <ind N.Z Cable Association. (Reed. 7.5 p.m.) WASHINGTON. April 14. Tho Judiciary Committee of the Senato resumed its hearing of evidence in connection with the draft measures designed to bring about the cancellation or modification of the Volstead Act.

General Andrews, officer in charge of the Prohibition Law Enforcement Department, in tho course of his evidence, said ha believed a modification of the federal Act to enforce mild alcoholic beverages would aid in tho enforcement of prohibition. He estimated that about 1,720,000 stills were now in operation in tho United States, tho average capacity of each being 40 gallons a day. Cross-examined, General Andrews said his opinion as a man and a citizen was that the present conditions, with home distilling were seriously injurious to the morals of the homo. He produced figures which showed that tho number of stills seized had increased from 95,930 in 1921 to 172,537 in 1925. Witness admitted he had often hired informers from the under-world to obtain evidence. Senator Reed, the only anti-prohibition-ist on the committee, said somo laws could be more criminal than crime. The old English law which permitted the authorities to hang a man for killing a rabbit was, ho considered, not more criminal than tho Volstead Act. Anyone who held a contrary opinion was heartless and was allowing his enthusiasm to rise to the point of insanity.