Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1910-01-08
MUST MARK YOUR
LIQUOR PACKAGES
National Wholesale Liquor Dealers
Association Warn Members to
Comply With New Law.

ASsoCidtloH warn members 10
Comply With New Law.
| On the first OF the year there goes
into effect what is known as the
Humphrey amendment to the federal
| penal code, under which it is neees-
| sary to plainly mark the contents of
all packages entering interstate COM
merce, when such packages contain
| spurious, malt or vinous liquors.
| The amendment contains three sec
tons. known as 23S, 239 and $40.
and the penalty for the violation Of
delivery of goods by a common car
rier to any but bona fide consignee,
| Is fine not to exceed $1,000, or i'm
prisonment not to exceed two years,
or both, for official or agents of the
/ offending carrier. For violation of
section 239, which forbids C. O. D.
shipments of liquor into interstate
commerce, the penalty is fixed at not
more than $4,000 fine, while for the
ships such package without the
proper Identification of the contents
shall be fined not more than 5000,
and the shipment shall be seized and
condemned
The amendment was put through
congress by the dry militant ele-
ment of the country for the purpose
OF stopping the shipment of liquor
into dry" territory The amend
ments will also put an end to the O.
0. d. Liquor business. which it
specifically makes illegal. This bus
mess has, however. practically been
done away with by the express com.
panies themselves abolishing 1t.
Will Obey the Law.
From what can be learned both the
distilling and brewing interests will
cheerfully obey the law and no at
tempt will be made to fight its terms.
1t is not believed in liquor circles
that the new law is detrimental to
the business, and that to the contrary
by effectively drying up dry" terri
tory will have the effect of changing
sentiment toward liberalism and the
licensed retail liquor dispensary.
The National Wholesale Liquor
Dealers Association sent out a cir
cular letter to the 1000 members of
that organization, explaining the
law and urging that it be complied
with. There are a number of points
in the law that require legal inter-
probation, principally that relative to
marking. The association finds that
the marks and stamps of the govern
ments itself, placed on the packages
by internal revenue agents, are the
best kind of marks for the purpose
The new code will be enforced by
the department of justice of the fed
eral government. the circular says,
and the amendments are neither a
part of the internal revenue regula-
tions nor of the pure food law All
three sections are operative regard
less whether the shipment be from
"wet" to 'wet" or 'wet" to dry ter
ritory, so long as the shipment par
takes of interstate commerce.
Railroad instructions.
Some railroads have issued the
following instructions:
81. Shipments of intoxicating IL
quors. as above described, will be de-
livered only to the consignee in per-
son or to the person holding the
bona fide written order OF the con-
signee. This is to prevent shipments
to fictitious names.
"2. Such shipments must not be
delivered to any person under ficti-
tious name
SO. Such shipments must not be
received when address ed to any ficti-
tious person or any persoa by ficti-
tious name.
20. A carrier must not, by means
of C. o. d. collection or in any 9th
err way, act as the agent of the seller
or shipper or the buyer for the pui-
pose of selling. completing the sale
or receiving payment or making pay
ment of the purchase price. The car
rier must confine himself strictly 70
the matter OF transportation. Ship
ments will be accepted to order
notify except as provided to the con-
trary.
"5 No packages of intoxicating
liquor shall be received unless so
marked as to plainly show the name
of the consignee, the nature of It's
contents and the quantity contained
therein"
The amendment will put an end
to the shipment of beer as apples,
&C. and also the practice of shipping
liquor in small packages to fictitious
consignees