The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1921-01-09
FIND Dc. FREE
OF RUM GRAFT
Prohibition Officials Assert
Brides Of Whlskey Ring
Were Rejected Here.


flee and the headquarters OF the local
district, which is located in Balti-
more, are entirely free from graft.
This is the opinion OF Thomas e.
Stone, chief OF the Maryland-Ohio
district, which includes the District
OF Columbia.
There has been n noticeable alb
sence of even suspicion OF graft Ia
this district, Mr.. Stone says, and on
the few occasions when the names Of
prohibition men have been connected
with illicit whiskey dealers. the
agents have always emerged with
a clean record.
AGENTS GET CLEAN BILL.
During the trial OF the Famous
'rlacre Distilling Company. in Balti-
more. several months ago. several pro-
hibition men were mentioned as hav-
ng received brides. but when the case
went to trial 1t was learned that
white bribcs had been offered agents
in every instance they had been turned
Jown.
A proof of SIS assertion that hon
,sty prevails In his office, Mr.. Stone
ais attention to the price of whis-
.,ey in his district compared with the
price in othcr districts. There IL hard
~ place, II is said, that wh!sk y is
not selling for from 81 TO IS per quart
cheaper than in the Mary land-Ohio
district. In Cleveland whiskey is
selling for $50 quart and at that
price 1t is hard to get.
50 IN NEW YORK.
In Washington, whore 1t Is a known
f..,, all AZ Ia. n4ht llya
ulently Withdrawn on New York GER
tifcates Is disposed Of whiskey is sell
ing for about sl2 quart In New
York city II has been selling recently
for So quart
1--WE are not stupid enough to think
hat because we are not arresting
| fifty bootleRgcrs day there Is no
liquor in Washington or any other city.
We know Il is here and that II IL being
| sold every day, but In many cases We
| are unable to OBTAIN enough evidence
IN the bootleg-;ers TO convict them. II
is one Of the hardest problems In this
| country today or in any other day TO
| obtain information against bootlcggers.
| The only persons who can give US the
informa ton are the poor wretches who
crave the whskey, and they know that
Il they tell us where and how they get
il II will close that source of supply to
Them.
CAN'T GET EVIDENCE.
Then. too, the average citizen, UNI
cys the sale OF whiskey is causing
him personal loss or grief. Will not
give us Information. They mink IL
4 beneath them to give Information
bout bootlegger. even II they do
not buy or drink the stun themselves.
These same men would not hesitate
for minute to give information to
Tho authorities OF any other viola
ton OF a statute or a violation or the
Constitution of the United States
But with all this handicap we are
not discouraged. We krkw and feel
that we have made WOMB full strides
in year and feel that il the course
OF the next two years we Will have re-
duced to the lowest possible minimum
the sale OF whiskey by Illicit means.
1t was said that the revenue officers
would not have as hard a time with
prohibition il the whiskey drinkers
had been given square deal.
Wartime prohibition went into Ell
feet at time when there were no
actual hostilities in progress that In
volvcd the United States. 1t Is ad-
mitted that the country was techni-
cally in a state of war. just as II still!
Is but actually there was no war. ii
the bars had been lifted on the liquor
trade between the time that wartime
prohibition went into effect and me
time that the constitutional prohibi-
ton went into effect there would be
less trouble with whIskey today.
IMMENSE PROFITS MADE.
Most of the wholesale houses in the
country kept their force at their call
ready with orders for millions of dol
lars worth of liquor to be shipped as
soon as il was legal to do so. IN
stead, it is claimed that the officials
Of the Federal Government listened to
the prohibition advocates who USED
the technical distinction of a state OF
war and forced the liquor business to
be outlawed until the constitutional
amendment went into effect.
In this manner. II ia said, millions
of gallons OF whiskey were held In
bonded warehouses when they could
have been equitably distributed, and in
stead OF having whiskey fall into the
hands Of INSCRIPTIONS persons II would
now be in the hands OF persons who
would have supplies In their homes Tor
several years. and. therefore, the boot
leggers would have no source of sup
ply and no source Of output.
The enormous profits made in the
Illicit whiskey trade, it is claimed by
prohibition officials, have been the
means of Turing many into the game
For the most part the persons who
have been caught and fined or jailed
for bootlegginE have, after being re-
leased from Jail or paying their fine,
gone back To the business. and II mat
ters not to them whether they arc In
Jail or not. and " they are forced 10
pay fine, they are perfectly able to
do so because the big profits they
make soon put them beyond the pale
OF hard work.
nm OTCrTunN nC AAI1NgAI