19,000 SENT TO GAOL

Sun (Auckland), Volume III, Issue 841, 9 December 1929, Page 9

19,000 SENT TO GAOL

ENFORCING DRY LAWS IN-

AMERICA £3,000,000 PAID IN FINES United P.A.—By Telegraph—Copyright Reed. 9.5 a.m. WASHINGTON, Sun. The report of Dr. James M. Doran, United States Commissioner of Prohibition, on how lie keeps America dry, is an interesting record of accomplishment, and also a revelation of the difficulties which Prohibition faces in this country. The commissioner recognises these difficulties, but lie contends that, large as is the amount of illicit liquor

manufactured, smuggled and consumed, it is a mere fraction of the total in the days before prohibition. Dr. Doran employs an army of 5,000 besides coastguards and Customs officials. Nineteen thousand offenders were sent to gaol for a total of 14,400 years, and 40,000 other convictions were registered. Offenders paid fines of £3,000,000. The presence of “graft’' is openly acknowledged. There are 200 special agents who keep their eyes open for crooked enforcement officers. The latter earned 500 years’ gaol and £50,000 in fines during the year., * Twenty-seven thousand illicit distilleries were eliminated, while 235,000 household copper worms and fermenters were seized and destroyed in every part of the country* together with more than 30,000,000 gallons of liquor.