Arizona republican., 1908-02-22

NA HtN-t-AAt1"
 Liquor Sold i'm the Hotels
 LirrOr is sold in most of the hotels iI Maine 1t can be obtained in any hote through the agency of the bell boy. In Bomc of the hotels bars are maintained Ever where there is no hotel bar an order fol liquor promptly will be complied with. One morning, in the Bangor House, the writer counted twenty-one bottles of beer ard four teen empty whisky dasks lying outside the various room doors. On the bureau in one of the rooms there was a score or more oi empty beer bottles.
 Throughout the State the liquor sold is of the very worst character, most Aof It be ing mGsie of high-prooi spirits. Taere are a nuullsir of formulas, the worst one includ- ing ten-cent plug of tobacco boiled in water.
 ], liquor dealer, who retired a year ago, said:
 'I quit the business becausefI could not sleep, thinking of the poison had sold men. I decbled that it would be better for me to drive a truck than to sell the vile stuff that passes for liquor in my town"
 This same liquor dealer declared that each man in the business had to either pay SC or more month for protection money or get out of town.
 man named Burke, who ostensibly runs an express business in Lewiston, was compelled to pay S25O 9 month for pro- lection. He at first refused to meet the cxactions of the officers of the law, but was closed mp and speedily brought 10 terms. ILc now pays his asSssment regu- lariy and conducts q large and profitable wholesale liquor business.
 Express Companies are Wholesalers
 The greatest liquor business in Maine is conducsed by the various express conpani, The Forest City Exprcss Company is one of nine in Portland. Its office has often been, raided by ShcrtT Pencils depEties. When the last seizur, was made by them they obtained S6GO worth of whisky and liquo= In the course of another raid proof yas obtained, showing the enormous liquor traffic, and also that the express was not acting as a common carrier.
 The Interstate Commerce Law, under which all of the express companies operate, permits the delivery of packages containing liquor to any person in Maine, provided the packages are transported from points out side of tte state
 While searching the books. of one of the Portland express companies a few months ago, the deputies found a check book in which the vouchers had been replaced. Some of these checks were made out by the presi- dent and treasurer of the the express com pany to well known wholesale dealer in Boston, and although varying in amount, averaged s3,200 a month The payments were made only to this one concern.
 It is not possible to get these companies to accept any consignments for other cities. Pressure of business is the excuse urged at the dullest season. But the stranger in Maine who desires liquor almost in variably hikes for the nearest express office. No matter how much a stranger be may be, he knows that the express company will supply his wants immediately.
 Freight Business Enormous
 The amount of liquor freighted into Maine is enormous. An indication of what it must be is in the records of the Maine lenlTdl dl d SluElt Sldtlou TUT ldSl Juut At this station the freight for two small towns aggregating in population 22,000, is received The amount of liquor freight re reived at the station was one hundred and twenty nine tons for the single month.
 What becomes of this? If prohibition prohibits, surely this amount of liquor cannot be consumed in one small town within a month. But it is, and some times a great deal more. It must be re- that the one hundred and twenty nine tons of liquor freight does not in dude the packages transmitted by the bona idle express companies.
 Nor does this include the whisky manu- facttred by the druggists of Maine. It is generally known that druggists make use of French spirits, and with the aid of a small quantity of inferior whisky, glycerine, prune juice, and a few other harmless ,hemicals, compound a fairly palatable ] whisky. There are several other formulas | known to the drug trade, among them the