The Athena press. [volume] (Athena, Umatilla County, Or.) 18??-1942, 1909-12-10
new PENAL CODE
After January All Liquors Shipped
Into "Dry" Territory Must
Be Labeled.

Another phase in the great cam paign
| against liquor will come to fore the
| first of next month, when the revised
penal code of the United States is to
become effective. Many of the
changes made in the penal laws by
the Sixteenth congress were of minor
interest. but the section relating to
the shipment of Intoxicating liquors
into "dry" territory contained new
legislation, the result of which will be
to make the United States factor in
prosecuting violators of the act. IN
thickly settled communities the local
authorities, as rule, are abs to deal
effectively with offenders, but in GER
tain sections of the south and west,
where settlement lie sparse. the task is
not so easy. and the members of con-
gress from those sections insisted that
the federal government should come
to the aid of the local authorities.
Three sections of the oodification
relate to the liquor traffic. The most
important provision is that on and
after January every shipment of in
toxicating liquor shall lear the name
of the consignee, the nature of the
contents of the receptacle and. the
quantity contained therein. 1t is a
notorious fact, so say persons who
have had experience in attempting to
drive out "tlind tigers" that praotio-
ally all the liquor now shipped in pro.
hibited territory is labeled as some
other commodity, not labeled at all,
and frequently addressed to persons
other than the consignee.
The federal authorities already have
sent out notice to all manufacturers of
intoxicants that their wares must be
labeled on the outside of the package
on and after the first Of the new year.
setting forth the nature Of the con-
tents and the exact amount in each
package. 1t is believed that If the
local authorities cooperate with the
federal government in the enforcement
of the law it will be comparatively
easy matter 10 suppress the "blind
tigers" 1t is pointed out that from
now on they cannot exist without
violating the federal statute, and the
assumption of the department of JUS
tice is that would be violators will not
care to take the chance of falling into
| the clutches of the federal courts.
1t has been alleged from time to
} time that in some of the states where
the sale of Intoxicating liquor has been
prohibited in one way or another the
railroads and express companies assis-
ting the violations of the law by act
ing as buying and selling agents. or
both. Congress, with the idea Of
putting stop to this practice. provid-
ed as follows: "Any railroad COM
pany. express company, or other COM
mon carrier, or any other person. who,
in connection with the transportation
Of any spirituous, vinous, matted. fer
mented. or other Intoxicating liquor
of any kind, from one state. territory
or district of the United States, into
any state. territory or district of the
United States. or from AIRY foreign
country into any state, territory, or
district of the United States. shall
collect the purchase price or any part
thereof. before, on or after delivery,
or shall in any manner act as the
agent of the buyer or seller of any
such liquor, for the purpose of buying
or selling or completing the sale there
Of. saving only in the actual trans
portation and delivery of the same.
shall he fined not more than $5OOO."