Report on the Enforcement of Prohibition Laws of the United States (Wickersham Report)

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National Commission I~ Jt..j

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Law Observance and Enforcement

Report on the Enforcement

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OF THE

Prohibition Laws of the United States,

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Dated, January '7, 1931

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CONTENTS' PRELIMINARY

1. 2. 3. 4.

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Scope of the report .......... '. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Materials used................................. Problem of liquor control.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . History of liquor control before the Eighteenth Amendment .............................. .

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NA'£IONAL PROHIBITION .....•.•.••.•••..•••....••.

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.1. The Eighteenth Amendment and the National Prohibition Act ............................... 2. History of· prohibition enforcement before the Bureau of Prohibition Act, 1927 ............. ·(a) Original organization .................... (b) Senatoriafinvestigation 1926 ............. 3. Prohibition enforcement since 1927 .............. (a) Bureau of Prohibition Act, 1927 .......... (b) Changes in personnel and in organization .. (c) Training of prohibition agents.. . . . .. . . . .. (d) Appropriations for prohibition enforcement. (e) Cooperation with other federal agencies. . .. (f) General observations .................... II. 'rHlll PRESE~T CONDl'£ION AS TO OBSERVANCE AND ENFORCEMEN'£

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1. Observance ............ ,....................... 2. Enforcement .................................. (a) Enforcement with respect to importation and manufacture. . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . .. (1) Sources of illicit liquor ............. (i) Importation ................. (ii) Industrial alcohol ........... (iii) Illicit distilling ............. (iv) Production of beer. . . . . . . . . .. (v) Production of wine .......... (vi) Pl'Qduction in the home. . . . . .. (vii) Diversion of medicinal anel sacramental anel scientific alcohol (2) Materials of illicit manufacture. . . . .. (b) Enforcement ·with respect to sale .......... (c) Enforcement with respect to transportation. «(1) Evasion in places useel for elrinking . . . . . . .. (e) Eviel61ice of prices ................ , , . . . .. (f) Cooperation with state agencies ....... :... III. THE BAD FEA'.I'UHES OF T:f£E PRESENT SITUATION AND DIFFIOUL~'IES IN THE WAY OF ENFORCEMENT

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3& 38 38 38 39 43 50 52 56 56 60 63 64 68 69 70 70 78

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Page 78

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',': :,',: : '. '.,.' The bad start and its results .................... , " 3. State of public opinion ............ . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4. Economie difficulties ........................... 5. Geographical d~fficulties ........................ 6. Political difficulties ............................ 7. Psychological difficulties ....................... 8. S~raiI.l 0l!- courts, prosecuting machinery and penal lnstltutlons .................................. 9. InvitatiOli to hypocrisy and evasion involved in the provision as to fruit juices .................. 10. Nullification ........... :....................... 11. How. far are these bad features necessarily involved in National Prohibition? ..................... IV. THE DEGREE OF ENFOROEMENT DEMANDED ...•••••• , V. PLANS 'YHreH HAVE BEEN' PROPOSED TOWARD MORE

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EFFEOTIVE ENFOROEMENT ... : . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 111 1. Partition of the field o,f enforcement between nation and state .................. '............... III 2. Better organization of enforc:fng agencies ........ 114 ;3. 1\'[ore adequate force and equipment ......... ,... 115' 4. Improvements in the statutes and regulations .... 116 5. Impl'ovements in court organization and procedure. '1216. Divorce of enforcement froin politics ............ 123 7. More civic activity: Cooperation with .non-Iegal and civic organizations ......................... 123 8. Edllcation of public opinion .................... 124 VI. NEOESSITY OF FEDERAL CONTROL •.•..•••••..•.•.. 125 VII. BENEFITS OF PROHIBITION '1'0 DE CONSERVED . . . . . . . 126 1. Economic benefits . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. 126 2. Social benefits ............. '. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. 129 VIII. Su~nl'rARY OF FOREIGN SYSTEMS . • • . . • . • . . . • . . • •• 130 1. License ana regulation ......................... 130 2. Government agencies ............................ 131 3.. Government control of manufacturing ........... 132 4., Prohibition' ....................' ............... , 133 IX. PROPOSE)) .AL'l'ERNATlVES '.1'0 THE' PRESENT SYSTEM.. 133 1.. Repeal of the Eighteenth .Amendment . . . . . . . . . . .. 134 2. Repeal or modification of the National Prohibition .Act ............... : ...................... , 134 3. Dev.elopment and improvement of organization and personnel ...............................•... 138~· 4. Revision of the Eighteenth .Amendment .......... 141 X. CONOLUSIONS AND REOOMMENDATIONS .••..•••.••••• 145 SEPARA'J'E STAT1!JMEN'.I'S OF THE COMMISSIONERS. • . • •. 151

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PRELIMINARY '1

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Scope of the Report

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In the First Deficiency Act, fiscal year 1929, under whi.ch this Oommission was appointed, its purpose was stated aB follows: "A thorough inquiry into the problem of the enforcement of prohibi.tion under the pr:ovisions of the Eighteent~l Amenclme:n.t of tho Oonstitution and laws enacted in pursuance thereof, together with the enforcement of other laws." 'l'his statement of purpose is repeated in the Second Deficiency Act, fiscal year 1930,.in these words :,"For continuing the inquiry into the problem of (he enforcement of the prohibition laws of the United States, together with enforcement of other laws, pursuant to the provisions therefor contained in the First Deficiency . Act, fiscal year 1929. " Such being the pu'rpose, the method of inquiry was stated by the President in his address at the beginning of the work of the Oommission: "It is my hope that tll(~ Oommission shall secure an accurate determination of fact and cause, following them with eonstructive, courageous conclusions." In such a connection it is impossible to divorce the problem of enforcement from that of enforceability. Hence in order to conduct a thorough inquiry, so as to lead to constructive conclusions, we have feit bound to go into the whole subject of enforcement of the Eighte'~nth Amendment and the National Prohibition Act; the present condition as to observance and enforc'ement of that Act and its causes; whether and how far the amendment in its present form is enforceable; whether it should be retained, or repealed, or revi!3ed, and a constructive program of imp:r.:ovement.

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