New-York tribune., 1919-11-01
IS Per Cent Are Closed

seventy five por cent of the 5.5q8
saloons in greater New York have
closed their doors, according to ra-
ports made to Mr. Mayer Yesterday.
He referred to the action Of 800
Brooklyn saloonkeepers who dec ded
al & meeting TO close up and stay
closed until wartime prohibition on
alcohol IS removed, and also to 25O
Bronx saloonkeepers who decided to
close uo. Other saloonkoepers are
closing one by one, he said. The %
per cent who are keeping open. Mr.
Mager said, were for the most part
conducting q legitimate trade in one
half OF per cent beer and the sale of
food. He expressed the belief hat
here were surprisingly few ylolarors
in New \ ork
We arc looking for bootleg places, '
Mr. MaEer said. We shall keep look
lng for them too We realize that the
revenue agents alone can't enforce this
Jaw. 1t viii take public sentiment to
10 it. Police Commissioner Enright
Is cooperating with US, and has placed
his men at our disposal. We are very
a'ds -pi'''''"''''' ''' '"eS are S"'""0is
Thus far there have been about
thirty raids in New York. Including
Witnesses about forty persons have
been arrested There are several mn
portant points that want the United
States Attorney to clear up for US
on the question Of what constitutes
vlolator Of this law
Customer May Be Guilty
Mr. Mager indicated that guilt in
a violation ight extend from proprie-
tor TO bartender to customer.
'oncernlng the number Of men m
New ork to enforce the law he said
"Ihere are about ten SUI svisory Of
1icers and about forty deputies here.
hcse men are making practically all
ne arrests. and IN every raid | believe
one OF the ten supervisory officers
"aS been present. Each Of the thr. q
collectors of internal revenue in this
CIV SION has been requested from
""sn'hgton to turn over to this work
Al Nhe men available. This Will IL
''uue many who have been engaged In
YAK "o'h. me department of justice
men ana o'her government employee es
are to WORK with US. Their chief VIC rk
~iIi be TO gather information about
violations. The experienced staff of
revenue agents viii make practically
all the arrests.
Beer could be bought without much
dficulty in many of those saloons
which remained open yesterday If th'
bartender was asked dOONt HI iN
friendly fashion he might volunteer ths
Information that the beer had beer
diluted until it was of legal weakness
IF the customer appeared doubtful tn
bartender in at least one cafe, woul'
offer TO les them do their own dlluNne
There were no takers
Some Hard Stuff To Be Had
Whisky and other hard liquor wer
available In certain back rooms. A
rule the walters III such places car
ried fiat bottles IN their coat pocket
and poured the customers drink. Ii
case of surprise these purveyors wer
prepared to destroy the evidence b.
dropping 1t on the floor
Two hundred saloonkeepers in tn
I'd Ward Of Queens. which includes
part of Middle Village, Glendale, Ever
green and Ridgewood, closed thei
places at midnight.
Before the war in Hoboken ther
were 332 saloons. Then the army fixe
dry zone, and ali but 107 saloons wer
closed. Early yesterday 1t was grape
vined from bar TO bar that the revenu
agents were on their way to Hoboke,
At 8 o'clock in the morning there wer
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