Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1920-09-23
RUM RUNNING ON
VERMONT BORDER
Inv Violated Hundreds Of Times
Daily IL Report from Montreal

lawful traffic in liquor across the border
between Canada and the United States.
n Canadian official expresses his belief
that the law Ia being violated hundreds
~ times daily all along the border from
Seattle to Maine and says he has grave
doubts II 1t can ever be enforced so
long as the transportation of liquor from
one part OF Canada to another remains
legal, as Mt present. unless the United
States authorities put armed guards
every hundred yards on the line from
Vancouver to Winnipeg and every Fifty
feet or SO the rest of the way across the
continent.
The Detroit rum runners have had n
good deal of notoriety, but. in the opin-
ion OF the official. the smugglers are
not a great deal more active in Michigan
than in Maine. Vermont and New York
and all along the line of the st. Lawrence
and tho Great Lakes.
So far as the official mas been able to
discover, there seems to be little anxiety
or activity on the part of the American
official to prevent the transportation OF
all kinds Of liquor across the international
line. For the last two weeks or so he has
been watching things from the Canadian
side and says he has seen no evidence that
any one cares whether liquor Is taken into
Champla.n district. where are fifty roads
leading from Quebec across the line and
on every one of them. he says, an automo-
bile loaded with liquor. or even old Dob
bin hitched to n wagon similarly freighted.
is in about the same danger of being APP
pretended as a cigar salesman on Broad
way
This he says. is the explanation of the
present state of affairs:
CUSTOMS OFFICES FAR APART
On the Vermont side of Lake Champlain
the nearest United States customs official
Is at Highgate and the next one at Swan
ton. Highgate Is about five miles from
the Canadian border and Swanton is ten
or twelve. Automobiles from tho Uni
ted States who cross into Canada are
supposed to report themselves on their
outgoing and return trips. If they take
care not to come too close to the customs
office either at st. Armand or Philips
burg. on the Canadian side, there is
obligation to report to the United States
official who would not know whether the
tourist had crossed the border.
Even supposing the automobilist does
care to comply with the formalty of call
ing at the United States Customs House.
he has about five miles of road and a
his cargo before reporting. Some persons
have even been known to drive right up
TO the custom house with a case or so Of
hard stuff" aboard, and on their assur
ance that they had nothing of n dutiable
or contraband nature they have been al
lowed to 60 on their way rejoicing.
In the first place. most customs officials
on either side of the line do not like the
idea OF having 10 carry out the duties of
whiskey plotters. and, on the other, what
customs official could imagine that an
automoblist with load of "hootch"
aboard would have the temerity TO run
right into danger?
From all that can be seen, the customs
officials are the only persons whiskey
runner has to fear along tho Quebec bor-
der. Montreal citizens who have made the
trip into the State, either over the King
Edward highway and through Rouses
Point into New York via st. Johns. Phil
lipsburg and so into Vermont, or over the
longest route of the Quebec boulevards
and the Lewis-Jackson highway into
Maine. have been amazed at the evident
lack of inspection. One crosses into the
States without even knowing 1t. unless
he knows where tho border line is or has
the small concrete posts that mark the
boundary pointed out to him.
One may get himself into trouble like
the four youths who drove into Phillips
burg and failed to stop at the custom
house. 1t happened on that occasion that
two members of the Royal Mounted Po-
lice were in the village taking Ii look into
things. They held III the car and wanted
20 know why !. hadn't stopped. The boys
reason was that they had only Few miles
70 cover to get 20 "hlind pig" but they
did not tell tho government police that.
instead, thcy told him that 1t was ncns
Of thar business. only II moro forcefu;
LANGUAGE. The upshot or II was that they
we're hustled or. Of the cart, and 4: will
be put up for auction some OF these days
by order Of the Canadian customs au-
thoritcs.
SMUGGLING BY MOTOR BOAT
However. 4; is by way OF motor boats
that most OF the liquor Is TRANSPORTED
around the Lake Champlsn district. with
their use orc does not oven have 20 worry
about customs officials 1t Is a mere mat
ter Of half hours run or SO from the
Canadian end of Lake Champla.n TO the
New York or Vernon, side and there arc
any number of places one may land with
In five minutes walk OF a roadway good
enough for car to pass over. IL Is q email
matter to make the transfer. ana. rs there
!e 10 suspicion or the automobtlst having
passed into Canada, no one suspects what
may be aboard
AL In ali. II has been a successful sea-
con for the smcgglers. for the supply IL
Quebec is unlimited anG the prtcp is mod
crate. while on the other side OF the Dor
der the demand is brisk and prices are
fired accordingly. When one is able to
maks anywhere In the vicinity of 500 on
a case CT dozen bottles of whisllsy. It
II only to DO expected that such lucrative
line OF business will appeal TO many. So
far no one seems to have thought 81 using
an airplane In this vicinity, though It
was reported some time ago that such
a means had been tried cut In the West