Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1918-11-28
j. s. AND STATE
LAWS RE GARD|NG
BOOZE ARE RIGID
New Mexico and Federal
Statutes Are Strict Enough
to Reduce BootIegging to
Minimum, It Is Believed

'''''' iiIllII - " OS'S' ~
New Mexico, like all other states.
is experiencing some difficulty in en-
forcing Nhe prOhibitUry law at least
during the early days of its existence
and until those who have a DISPOSE
ton to break the law learn that the
officials intend to enforce It to the
letter. 1t may also be possible that
there are a few persons who are not
thoroughly informed as to what rights
they possess under existing laws in
the way of buying and selling booze.
The New Mexico prohibitory law
which went into effect on October 2,
last, reads as follows:
! From and after the list day of
| october. A. d. nineteen hundred and
I eighteen, no person, association or
corporation shall within this state,
manufacture for sale. barter or gift
any ardent spirits ale. beer, alcohol
wine or liquor of any kind whatso-
ever, containing alcohol; and no pen
son, association or corporation shall
/ import into this state any such liquors
| or beverages for sale, barter or gift;
and no person, association or corpor-
/ alton shall within this state, sell or
| barter. or keen for sale or barter. any
| Of such liquors or beverages, or offer
any of such liquors for sale, barter
or trade: provided. nothing in this
section shall be held to apply to de-
natured alcohol or grain alcohol
when intended and used for medici-
nal mechanical or scientific pur-
poses only"
1t will be observed that the law eX-
Npressly forbids the manufacture in
the state. or the importation into the
state, of liquors for sale, barter or
gift" But this IS not all A law
passed by congress in the spring of
1917, known as the Reed amendment
throws additional safeguards about
states having dry legislation on their
statute books. This amendment reads
as follows:
Whoever shall order. purchase or
cause Intoxicating liquors to be trans
ported in interstate commerce except
for scientific, sacramental, medicinal
and mechanical purposes, into any
state or territory the laws of which
state or territory prohibit the manu-
faCture or sale therein of intoxicating
liquors for beverage purposes shall
be punished as aforesaid"
The punishment prescribed is a
fine of not more than $1,000. or i'm
prisonment of not more than six
months, or both; and for any subse- /
quent offense the guilty person shall
be punished by Imprisonment for not
longer 3han one year.
1t will be observed, therefore, that
both state and federal laws prohibit
the importation OF liquors into New
Mexico. as we'll as all other states
states prohibiting the manufacture
or sale" of booze therein, man IN
New Mexico who purchased liquor
which was shipped into the state be-
fore the prohibitory law became eff
fective, is allowed to drink it himself |
or GIVE it to his friends, although 1t |
would not be wise for him to follow |
the latter mode of procedure to any |
great extent if he intends to wet his |
whistle very often in the years to I
come, as when his present supply is |
it will be, as the governor |
Of North Carolina said to the govern
or of South Carolina on a certain his I
toric occasion, "a long time between |
drinks"
There is another law which has |
caused trouble for some New Next
the northern tier of counties. 1t used
to be customary for Colorado, after
that state went dry, to send over into
New Mexico for some of its liquor
There is o federal law reading as fol-
oWs:
Whoever shall knowingly ship or
cause to be shipped from one state.
territory or district of the United
states into any other state, ter
story or district of the United States,
,r from any foreign Country into any
state territory or district of the Unit
ed States, any package of or
package containing and spirituous,
iinous, matted, fermented or other
liquor of any kind, unless
iuch package be so labeled on the
outside cover as to plainly show the
lame of the consignee, the nature of
IS contents, and the quantity con-
aimed therein, shall be fined not
more than $4,000; and such liquor
hall be forfeited to the United States
md may be seized and condemned by
ike proceedings as those provided by
aw for the seizure and forfeiture of 4,
imported into the United ,
tates contrary to law"
Under the law in force in Colorado,
f man wants a package of liquor
le gets a permit from the county
Jerk. The permit specifies exactly :
What the customer is entitled to. This :
'ermit is then sent into wet state
nd the order is filled. However. !,
hould the Colorado man have re-
eived his allotment of beer during
he month he would have the per-
nit made out for whiskey, but in
truct the shipper to send beer. This
ermit must in all cases be pasted ,
pon the package before it is shipped,
therefore, if the label calls for whis-
y and beer is shipped, both parties =
ave violated the law.
At least one or two New MeNicans
ave been indicted for MISLEADING
shipped into Colorado. 1t
] a question in the minds of law
ers here if the Colorado law is con-
titutonal. in view of the Reed
This, of course. is not
question to be settled here. There
pparently is plenty TO do in New
lexico in the, way of enforcing our
wn prohibitory laws. and the offic-
RS seem determined to see that all
iolators are punished as severely as
ossible.