Decorah public opinion. (Decorah, Winneshiek County [Iowa]) 1895-1928, 1919-04-30
AFTER JULY | NO
HOMEMADE BEER
Government Prepares to Make War
on Illicit Stills and Brewing
THREE THOUSAND
AGENTS in FIELD
Government to Put Small Army Of
Sleuths i'm Field-WiIl CO.
operate With Local Police
Forces i'm Enforcement
of Nationwide
War PrOhi-
bition

Washington, D. C.-Three thou
sand internal revenue agents work
ing in specially arranged zones Thrift
out the United States will enforce
prohibition after July /, according
to plans announced today by the
revenue bureau.
Nearly 500 inspectors will be
trained for the work, to be added to
the force of 2,2S3 revenue agents
already available for police regula-
tons, and the machinery for en-
forcement will be in working order
before the date when absolute pro-
hibition becomes effective.
This force of special agents will
be distributed among the districts
where law violation is threatened to
the largest extent, and special at
tention to cities where revenue Of
ficials look for most persistent eff
forts to make whiskey illegally.
To Insist on Police Aid.
In addition revenue authorities
plan to cooperate with local police,
and to leave the greater part of the
enforcement work to these authori-
ties in localities where the police ap-
pear efficient Without such plan
the force of even 5000 federal agents
would be insufficient to police the
entire country.
Altho manufacture of liquor for
personal use will be equally illegal
with the manufacture for sale, agents
are expected to devote most of their
time to the commercial traffic and to
leave the enforcement of the law
against personal manufacture to
local police.
Altho heretofore liquor violations
have been found by revenue agents
mainly among moonshiners of south
ern mountains, prohibition is expect
ed to stimulate illict distillation en-
ormously in cities.
One aspect of liquor law VIOLA
tons has grown out of the humid
reds of receipts of home manufactur-
er of beer, ale, wines and even dis
titled liquors, now being circulated
in all parts of the country. Booklets
and printed phamplets Of these re-
ceipts have reached revenue officials
from scores of cities. 1t was explain
ed today that to make liquor &C
cording to these recipes will consti-
tute clear violation Of the law, altho
it was admitted it would be difficult
to prevent the manufacture in most
cases.
Private stills can be acquired legal
ly only by registration with the
revenue collector of the - district.
Manufacturers of stills are under
strict regulation of the revenue
bureau, being required to pay $50
year license fee for doing business
and to pay a specific tax of $40 in
each still sold. In addition, the manu-
facturer is required by law to re-
port the name and address of the
purchaser and the purchaser of the
still is required to report the pur-
pose of his still, and the nature Of
the surroundings in which 1t is to Do
placed. If person is detected in up-
Grating still, he is liable to pay the
license fee ordinarily imposed on a
distiller, in addition to fines and
other penalties for law violation.
Many reports of the manufacture
of family" stills on large scale
and their sale. at low prices, have
reached the revenue bureau, but
proved false in most cases.
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