The Dawson news. (Dawson, Ga.) 1889-current, 1909-01-27
Help! CRY REVIEWERS
So Many Stills to Raid They Can
not Keep Up With the Work.
NEARLY 400 STILLS ARE FOUND

ernment Revenue Officer More
Whiskey Has Been Made i'm Geor-
gia the Past Six Months Than Ever
Before. A Cry Has Gone Up to-
Washington for a Bigger Force.
WHISTLES, brandies, wines, drinks
for all palates, cheer to suit every
appetite, the joy and exuberance of
life in all its forms and phases.
flowed as free in north Georgia dur
ing the last six months as milk and
honey were to flow in the promised
land beyond the Jordan.
Special Revenue officer ]. H. Sur
Der, in charge of this division en-
bracing Georgia, Florida and Alaba-
ma, has just completed his record
OF illicit distilling operations for the
last six months of the year 1908.
They show the destruction in this
territory in the period named of 397
distilleries and the seizure of about
5000 gallons of whiskey. Eighty per
cent. of the distilleries captured
were found in Georgia, the report
showing an increase of 20 per cent.
as compared with the last six months
of 1907.
In all the years of their existence
the hills or Habersham and the val
leys of Hall have never before been
so brisk with distillers or seen such
trimming jugs. All records have
been broken. The showing of past
years is Insignificant. The apex has
been reached
More Help Is Wanted.
The Atlanta Georgian says cry
for help has gone out to Washing
ton from the office of Internal Reve-
nue. Agetn Surber. The Georgian
quotes one of the chief men in the
office as saying:
we will need fully twice as much
force as at present if the arrests for
Illicit distilling continue as they have
for the past few weeks" stated Colo
mel Henry D. Capers. "Mr. Surber
and | have both written to Washing
ton, laying the situation before the
head of the department, and asking
for additional force.
In December 115 stills were
raided and captured Think of that!
And the record for January will be
equally as large. Indeed, up to the
present date the captures have been
more numerous than for the same
period in December.
Look there, " he continued, point
ing to huge pile of copper vessels,
retorts and piping, that's only
sample of what we get. And here"
taking up pile of papers, "all these
reports by the first mail today
We need more help, and we ought
to have it. Just look at the import
ance of our work in the internal rev.
enue agencies as compared with the
work of the frontier scouting Offices.
which have nothing to do but watch
indians. Why, through our agencies
the major portion of the revenues of
the government are poured into it's
cofers. Yet the scouting offices are
fuIl-handed compared with our own.
| certainly trust something will be
done to relieve the situation"
I Stored away in the vaults and cell
lars of the federal building in At
lanta, says The Georgian, are
thousands upon thousands of gal
Ions of contraband liquors. Heaped
up in the secret corners are
tons upon tons of distiIling appara-
tus. All this represents a part of
the work-and, at that, perhaps one
OF the least important parts-of the
duties of the internal revenue agen-
cy. 1t is in the collection of the du-
ties and special taxes on all goods
coming under the federal laws that
this branch of the service really
earns it's SALT" less spectacular
than still-raiding perhaps, but far
more important and remunerative.