The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1879-04-09
THELIQUOR TRAFFIC.
What the Chairman OF the GIasgow Wine
Trade Association Says.

At a meeting of the Glasgow, Scotland, Wine,
Spirit and Beer Trade Association, in that city
March 10Th, the chairman, Mr.. James McWil-
liams, said:
The Lord Provost of our city, in his capacity
as chairman of the Scottish Temperance
Lsague, in comparing the amount OF liquor
consumed per head by the people of the state
of Maine and those of our own country, is re-
about the effect Of the Maine liquor law in
America l had occasion lately to be in
America, and as was natural, took the oppor-
tunity of visiting the state of Maine to endeav-
or to see for myself how the grand Maine
liquor law, as teetotalers call it, was carried it,
to effect in the city of Portland, one of most
important cities in Maine aud where it is said
the law is vigorously carried out, and where, as
l understand, Gen. Neal Dow, the temperance
lecturer, has his headquarters. was informed
as neared the city that it was almost impossl-
BILE for stranger to get any refreshments, but
plenty of liquor could be got if he were &C.
quainted, or accompanied by anyone in theIcity
who knew how to 'worb the oracle" (Laugh-
ter.) On my arrival the landlord of the house
at which put up told me in the course of con-
versatioD, that the Maine law was dead-letter
so far as regarded preventing residents getting
liquor. at first failed in getting anyb body to
conduct me to the places where liquor could be
and 1 took train for Boston much disappointed,
[. however, returned per first train next NOM
ing to Portland, determined to find
out more of the working of the law,
and on presenting myself TO the friends
heartily at my determination, and gained
their entire confidence. One of them went
with me, and in his company we visited ten
liquor shops within an hour, and had drink in
each of them. Great laughter.) [ am not,
however, like some pretended teetotallers, who,
when they once taste drink, go to excess. My
companion told me that We passed 20 addition
| al houses to those visited in the space we
| traversed. In describing these houses, the
| Chairman said-If you want drink you must
| enter into an inner chamber, when you will see
| waiter behind the bar prepared to sell you
| liquor, which he keeps in bottles on his person.
| This liquor is for "lmmediate use." The watt
| er has his stock in a secret place out Of reach
| of the authorities, and should the myrmdons
| of the law make their appearance, spies report
| BIZ secret signal, and the liquor-seller pours
| what he has for immediate use on the floor, so
as to prevent seizure being made, but his
| stock is safe. These are not absolutely illicit
| houses, such as our shebeens. They pay a
| license duty of $25 per annum to the United
| States government, and are not illegally selling
| liouor SO far as the United States government
is concerned; but the law of the state of Maine
| comes into operation and supersedes the law of
the United States, rendering the sale of liquor
! illegal in the state of Maine, and making q
local law override an imperial or Congressional
law. That is an anomaly which appears strange