Free trader-journal and Ottawa fair dealer. (Ottawa, Ill.) 1920-1927, 1920-10-08
AGENTS MAKE READY
TO CLOSE THOUSAND.
SALOONS IN CHICAGO
Ting OF LID BRINGS DRASTIC
ACTION FROM REVENUE OFF,
CERS-BREWERIES MAY BE
FORCED TO CLOSE DOWN BY
GOVERNMENT.

ID
ciamped upon the Illicit traffic i
booze and beer in Chicago and NOR
than seventy-five breweries ana 0o
saloons are to be connscated by tn,
United States government
The old commercial act. nassed i,
1867, is to be evoked according tC
Collector Harry W Mayer and Chief
Field Agent Thomas j. O'Brien.
10 Federal Judge Lands, who con
venea his court Wednesday. will be
assigned the task Of disclosure in his
characteristic manner.
Federal officials expect John Bar
Ieycoln to get the trouncing of his
lie civil suits as well as criminal
prosecutions are to follow.
In connection with Mai. Dalr-ym.
pies appeal to Commissioner Kramer
IN Washington to place an embargo
ON all whisky shipments to The Chi.
cago districts for the next four
months, it was announced that such
action had been taken in New York,
Pennsylvania and New Jersey yes
terday. Commissioner Kramer said
he was undecided as to what action
would be taken here.
The law under which the federal
of1lcials are acting was designed as
a measure to prevent manufacturers
evading taxes during the Civil War.
II gives the internal revenue de
partment the power TO seize all prop
erty belonging To tax dodgers and
permits the government to operate
the plants for any purpose It sees
fit
The act was dug up by Collector !
Mayer and Mr., 0 Brien when they
learned that most Of the breWcries of /
Chicago were making real beer and .
that more than 1000 saloons were .
selling it.
None OF the brewers paid the tax
required by the government on each
barrel made. To have done so would
have furnished prima facie evidence
that they We're violating another law
the V0lstead amendment
Now they are caught between two
fires with the chance Of being unable
10 escape either. The procedure
planned is to obtain proof OF the
making and selling OF real beer and
then TO issue a collectors warrant"
TO be served by Il deputy without the
fotnality Of approval by a judge or
commissioner.
After the warrant is served the col
Iector can go before ii district Judge
and ask that his action in Selling the
be confirmed.
H. 4
seizure Of the entire property it is the /;
Collectors duty to turn over TO the
government the estimated amount Of !
he defaulted taxes with penalties and ;
eturu the rest. d
The tax on beer is 81 barrel uu, $
Ter the war time law for ali that is
old in prohibition territory Y
The war time act which is separate 4
rom the VOlstead law also requires
hat retail saloon keepers must pay p
overnment special license of SLIGO OF
year 10 operate in prohibition ia
III
This clause was designed to aid
he separate states that had search VI
nd seizure" acts. o.
As Illinois is one Of those states the
hicago salobn keeper is hit four
mes in the same place, whereas
callers in states that have no search
nd seizure laws have only three pen
lties to pay. -
II was estimated that the saloon
eepers will be required TO pay about VI
b Il 90 each in Chicago. ~
When the revenue department is
trough with them the criminal end ID
7 the prohibition law will be taken ,
. and the defendants face fines OF
900 and two years in the peniten-
airy It was summed up by an Of f'
,er yesterday as follows; 81.
THE revenue department will take y"
! their money and the district at --
.fney will put them in Jail
For three days almost 200 federal
tents under the direction of Chief
equity OBrien have been visiting
licago saloons gathering samples OF Y
q beer sold h
Yesterday they visited every saloon
the loop and took samples where
'er beer was being sold.