Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1916-10-22
SALES Of LIQUORS ARE
I. BREAKING ALL RECORDS
Users of Wine and Whisky Are
Stocking Up Against Coming
Dry Times.
SALES PASS EXPECTATIONS
Many Inquiries Made as to Legality
OF Practice. but No Ruling Has
Been Made by Attorney. General or
Prohibition Commissioned.

With Statewide prohibition ouly ten
days off. the traffic in liquors yesterday
established new high mark for Rich
mond. several dealers reporting the
largest sales in the history of their
business in this city. This was notably
true in the crowded downtown retail
sections. where saloons and bottle lio-
nor stores commended all day with Il
crowd, whose buying power appeared
unlimited.
Tho notable feature of the buying
yesterday and for the past few weeks
has been the ease purchases. In the
pnst the buying of liquor 10y the case
was rare. Purchases in this volume
were made largely by mail order, Ike
Gently. however. wholesale purchases:
have become the rule. and tier" is !,
well-deilnHd movement on the part OF
users OF liquors and wines to stock up
as heavily as they can afford against
the period uf brought that will soon
be here.
The stocking Of wine cellars and the
laying up .: large supplies Of liquors
fer future use is being encouraged by
tho general assumption that there is
nothing i'll the prohibition law that will
limit the amount OF liquors an indi-
vidual may legally have in his posses
sion after November l. provided IL is
intended for his own personal use.
MANY APPLICANTS FOK
Li;tAL RULING ON POINT
Although a number of persons have
applied to the Attorney -Gcnrral for
q ruling on this point. he has refraincd
from expressing an opinion in tho alb
sence OF request from Prohibition
Commissioner Peters for II construction
of the law.
1t has even been pointed out as pc
culiar that the Office created for the
express purpose OF securing an efficient
enforcement OF the prohibition law has
not secured from the Attorney Gc neral
his views as to the right OF an indi-
vidual to lay in stock Of liquors
against the dry days. and made public
an oflicis! opinion for the guidance OF
the people of the state. Commissions
er Peters has applied I" Attorncy-Gcn-
eral Pollard for rulings a. To the malt
drug store, ADVERTISING, shipping and
other sections OF the Mapn bill. but has
apparently regarded il as beyond his
proper function Ia ,uhEhtcn ihc buy
ing public as 10 th.lr right 10 lay in
extra supplies.
Hardly :; day passes ih;,t an iudiv!d-
,iai does no, arpls to I'll" Attorney
General for his Views on thi. interest
inS question:. 70 al! inuuirrrs Mr.. FOL
lard has replied tina! he can give in
corporations -; the prohibition law
oul!-io Prohibition Commissioner Pc
ters. aul that the latte, has'n", yet
sought ms adVir" on this subject
tA>\ur rtsS oN POINT
>Iil. LAW ~ IN EFFECT
Ia i-.haii g; ,h- Prohibition Com
iutss.Guor, IL - stated that MS office
rIisl"t preprIJ! take notice "E amy liq
nor. purchasing activities ON the part
al The public unlil the act becomes cf-
!cct!vc. ana th!ti only after November
|, viii ii be- hi$ duty 10 pass on the
uuaniitA or luu"r an Individual may
!cEail! hecr ga MS premises. la re-
ply I" Ihs il il pointed out that MIR
Peters has departed from this strict
rule by for,ityiGr himself in advance
with legal adN''r on ih- exact purport
al ti'., malt, drur store and other pro-
visions, although they viii not be APP
piled until al,-r November l.
Whether tn. purchasers are headed
Tor NuUtlr 90 not, i; il . fact which
uuhodH y attempting :" conceal tina;
iUdiN i'ilJis without nuimhcr, most OF
them Industrious and law biding citi-
xens. a!+' laying in stocks ranging
from twelve quarts 10 100. and even
more the traffic is assuming cnor-
NOUS proportions. and will continue
without abatement until the end %!
this month.