New-York tribune., 1919-07-02

sloCh!HS Wy --iE' QUANTITIES " eO1
drinks
While the retail wine dealers had
been advised by counsel that they
would be within the law if they sold
diluted light wines, few took advan-
tage of this privilege.
at would be shame to spoil good
wine BY dluting it," said Z. A. stras-
ser, secretary Of the Upgrade Wine
Company. which has fifty-seyen stores
in the greater city. And wine SO d.
luted would not be fit to drink few
hours after it was mixed.
I'VE are selling 2.75 per cent beer
even selling spirits fer medicinal pur-
poses until we have got ruling
from the Internal Revenue Department
We are expecting TO get along for a
month or so in this way unit! some
thing happens TO restore to US the
right to do business. We are keeping
our 300 employees, but, in case we nave
to let some of them GO later on, we
are looking out for prospective jobs
for them now. Most OF them, if they
leave us at all. which we think is
hardly possible, will GO into chain ciga,
cigar stores as statesmen. They arc
we'll fitted for this work and we have
made arrangements to land them there
in case OF need
In Dewey's wine shop in Fulton
Street Tribune reporter found the
counter barrlcaded several tiers deep
with eager votarics. Hands reache d
out for glasses of amber and rose
hued liquor. Long, slow draughts were
quaffed luXuYiously and siShs of relief
escaped trorl threats that had erst-
while been parchcd.
ll!ram 5. Dewey sat in his office and
received the reporter obviously. AS
he aftcrwarl confessed, he has one eve
focused in the direction oe the legal
authorities. lnqulrers might be almosl
anybody.
No Notice to Close Up
I'VE have received no notice from
the revenue department nor from the
police authorities to close up, so. O,
course, we are remaining OPEN" he
explained. eve are selling no dis
titled liquors, just wines and grape
juice.
Il am a member Of the forces op.
posing prohibition and | have beer
president of the American Wine Grow
ers Association since 1914. | am tax
ing the ground that the sale of wines
IS not violation of the law, because
we have paid our wholesale and re-
our state license to the state of New
ork. President Wilson has cxprcssc ed
ms opinion publicly that he felt this
the proper time to lift the wartime
prohibition ban on the sale of ligh,
VINES and beers. Congress has not
made any appropriation for the en-
lorcemcnt of the law, nor has it fixed
any penalty for it's violation"
Il am oil the opinion that natural
wines are not Intoxicating, unless
abused, and that wine and beer stand
IN exactly the same class as beverages
We are doing q respectable, honestly
conducted business under the super-
vision Of the United States govern
mcnt, which thought enough of the
vine trade to establish thirty expert
mental vineyards in different parts OF
the country to teach farmers how to
grow grapes"
Some Liquor Stores Close
Many of the family liquor stores
closed their doors yesterday. Their
owners confessed that things looked
pretty bad for them. Those that re
mann are shutting up at o'clock in
stead of 10 or II in the evening.
w dldn't take in enough money to-
u"S 10 pay lor tne electric light VIZ
purh' sald one man yesterday. "Lool
at our shelvcs" And he pointed r.
rows of bottles of whiskey, brandy ant
other strong drinks.
IVY eye paid government taxes or
most OF that stuff and now we won't be
able to collect on it. A friend of mine
IN the trade paid $4,000 to the gov.
ernment on his supplies Of LIQUOR anc
ne hasn't been able to collect more
than $4,000 on it. Now he won't get
any more out Of it, at least until The
ban is lifted.
IF it weren't for the fact that we
have bar here, as we'll as our shop
we would close right up. We are only
selling claret, Rhine wines and beer
Mhen we sell bottles we can collect
$40 or SIS within few minutes. When
we sell drinks we get 10 cents apiece
we dare not sell by the bottle or case
now. Figure for yourself whether YOU
think we can keep on at that rate. We
have had no instructions other thar
what we saw in the newspapers"
Cider Not Very Popular
The thirsty did not bethink them.
selves especially of cider yesterday
despite the fact that it is considered ;
pretty good substitute for strong drink
When The Tribune reporter walked
into Doherty's Cider House in Brook
lyn q sailor was quenching his thirst
with the famous old English drink
but the bartender was emphatic in saw.
ing that the trade was "just as usual. >
and that there had not been anv par
ticular demand for cider.