PEOPLE OF THE PERIOD

Southland Times, Issue 18810, 1 May 1920, Page 8

PEOPLE OF THE PERIOD

PEN PORTRAITS OF PROMINENT I PERSONALITIES. j i J (By Criticus.) /

No. .11. A DRY OFFICIAL. , 3 of considerable importance in the United States governmental system at the present moment, a man of whom more is expected than of President Wilson or the chief hatter in a New \ ork baseball nine, is but little known in this part of the world. One excuse that New Zealand may have is has only recently taken up his duties of Federal Prohibition Commissioner, which takes with it the arduous duty of enforcing the Dry laws. This man is John F. Kramer, a lawyer of Ohio, and he is described as a man of fifty years, medium in build, and fitted with a fighting temperament. He was selected for the position by the Commissioner of the Inland Revenue Office and Mr Kramer himself gives us the reason that the Commissioner wanted a man with strong convictions on the subject of prohibition, while at the same time net being a fanatic. * Since I wins twenty-one years of age I have entertained strong views on the subject of intoxication and have strong moral convictions, conf«svt>a Mr Kramer. ‘At the same time I don’t believe I am a fanatic or crank on prohibition. My friends have never considered me as such.'’ ■©•o j/w While Mr Kramer will not be the head of the entire organisation chanted with the dirty of enforcing prohibition, he will he in a position to make life miserable for violators of tne law. The Commi.-Monrr of Internal Revenue, Mr Daniel C. Roper is the official head of the organ-sat ion, hut he will only an vise with .Mr .Kramer on matters of policy. Mr Kramer is (he Federal Prohibition Commissioner for the Collector of Internal Revenue, and it will ire his duty to enforce the law. For the enforcement of national prohibition the eoum'rv has been divided into ten districts. w ; i'i Federal agent at the head of each di.-triot. The number of men to be employed m each district will depend upon the nature of the distinct. In certain mountainous districts which invite the making of ‘‘moonshine” it will be necessary to have quite a number of men. In certain districts where there has been local prohibition for some time the force wilt be very small. In addition to (ho ten district agents and (heir force:-, in every State there will be a Federal director and under him a small number of inspectors. The first steps in the way of action in putting the Constitutional Amendment into effect will be with the inspectors. They will be expected to keep themselves informed as to conditions existing in the State in which they are located; to see whether manufacturers arc obeying the provisions of the law; whether druggists and physicians arc conforming to the provision applying to them, and whether there is illicit making or distilling. In cases whore violations are found, the local authorities ere to he notified. If they fail to take action, then the Federal authorities will step in. In tins way the Commissioner anticipates that the whole nation can be made dry and kept dry.

In such a system the personality of the chief Federal agent is an important factor, but thi> American authorities seem to have unbounded confidence in Mr Kramer’s capacity. According to one American writer Commissioner Kramer is not a “professional prohibitionist.” In other words, he is - not a member of the Anti-Saloon League or any of the other prohibition organisations. He has never actively worked for prohibition. At the same time, he says, ■very one who knows him knew exactly where he stood on the question, and that was against, liquor. -‘Honest John” is what the Commissioner is called in his home town, Mansfield. There he practised law for a number of years, stood well with Ins fellow citizens and for four years represented them in the Ohio legislature, two years of which he was the minority leader, lie also represented his county in the Fourth Ohio Constitutional Convention in 1912. When Mr Kramer was announced as the First Federal Prohibition Commissioner, a friend of his in Washington was asked who he was, “He is a lawyer, a Sunday school teacher, an orator, a confirmed dry, but not a fanatic,” was the reply. “lie is a Democrtit in politics and a Lutheran in church membership.” Commissioner Kramer was fifty-one years old on February 10. having been born on a farm in Richland County. Ohio, in 18(59. Leaving the farm at twenty, he went to the Ohio Northern University, where he obtained u degree of RA, For seven years he was a school teacher, being superintendent of a number of rural school systems. Then he entered the Ohio State Law School, living graduated therefrom in 1902. He opened an office bMansfield, which he maintained until pick cd to fill the job of making and keeping tincountry bone dn - . It was. during his service in the Ohio I crl -L.tore that he gained the sobriquet of “Honest John.” He served four year: in the Legislature, from 1013 to 1017. fhe last two years being minority, or Democratic, floor leader. Ho was the father of Ohio - ; reform election law. and after lie put through that measure to prevent frauds at the ballot box he became known as “Honest John.”

Mr Kramer is confident of n-.-cr-v, in suite of the denbts of the ’lnn in •';■* .street. He <‘V|to lire,'!' behb' ! bun th ■ ■ rf of the c'f.'KTil |:11IjT.v,1jT.v, end !"■ argues; "I have no doubt in the world that t!u. - count ry in 'join" to be dry, hut the law will ’op fairly enforced. There arc some things which should he carefully home in mind in reference to the enforcement of prohibition. In tin- fir-t place, the line of demarcation bet,veep. the different forces int er-wo-d in this ipattv-r i < different !iom 1-haf which it he,-; h.-i-n heretofore, Heretofore Ih? line of demarcation ha- been I-a ween -Ima who i •_> o’ ■ rad o'-n tie, I-'-v.m now on ;he ' e- o’ da" ■ -•.re-, - -o - '•rill be between those who. are in lavoar obeying the law. whether iheir perw-nnl views are in harmony who the lav.- or not, and those who will he ready am! an:-:ions end desirous to violate the law. Secondly, the .great mass of American citizens are lawabiding. They may not at. all times believe in a certain law, but so long as the law is upon the Statute books and written into the Con-1 itr;rion of cur country, they fee! it, should, he obeyed. The contrary to Cos vi r.erad proposition i; the eyes;-I sin and rare, and not the ride. This fact will tell mightily in the matter of fretting result; from the law. Thirdly, the matter of enforcing the law will lie primarily in the hands of the local authorities municipal, county, ami State. This must ever be kept in mind and is vital if we reach the results which we ought to ranch. The local authorities ought to be jealous of this right end zealous in the performance ol their dutv, and in most cast's will be. ll is only where they feed to act at aU. or where they act in a careless and indifferent war-, that the organisation now being completed will exercise its right tint I take up the duties of enforcing the lew. But when such conditions exist the organisation will not be slow or hesitant in acting or in assuming the right and privilege.-; placed upon it under the law.” % The Dry Commissioner realises that he must have the active support of the public and in his appeals to the nation he has made much of this, point. “The people should stand solidly at the back of those officials who do their duty under the law,” he stays in a statement that seeks to enlist every citizen as an unofficial officer of the department. “They should lend their in--11 ucnce and support to every agency of the county, State, and nation which has to do with the matter of enforcing the law. Obedience to law should be preached from every pulpit, taught in every school room, and

urged from every platform. I have sometimes felt that there is one danger confronting those people who are in favour of having the law enforced. It seems that our people are not given to maintaining a continued effort along any particular line of reform. They will make a great effort and secure positions of much weight and strategic importance. When these things are secured they then arc apt to rest upon their oars and are in danger of losing the ground they have gained. They will form the organisations to carry out certain work, but fail to keep the organisation working. The battle for prohibition is not won. It is still on. It is true that we have secured advantageous ground, positions of great strategic importance, but these must he held and advanced positions taken. The danger here suggested can be to a great extent minimised by men in the organisations which have brought about the Prohibition Amendment to the Constitution.”