The New York herald., 1921-01-30
KRAMER LOCKS UP
RUM WAREHOUSES;
| IN SEVEN STATES
Drastic Order Issued to
Curb Liquor Ring and
Halt Bootlegging.
EAST ONLY AFFECTED
Industrial Alcohol, Church
Wine and Druggists Or
ders Excepted.
SURPRISE IN NEW EDICT
Not Until Stocks Of Legal
Holders Become Low Will
Ruling Be Revoked.
SURPRISE IN NEW EDICT
Special Despatch TO THE New YonK HERALD.
New York Herald bureau.

Special Despatch 20 The New York HERALD
New York Herald Bureau.
Washington, ID. c., Jan. 20.
AS a desperate measure to break tn,
Eastern rum ring and stop Illicit traf
fic in the SO called wet belt of East
ern States. Prohibition COMMISSIONS
Kramer late to-day issued stringen
orders closing all warehouses in New
York, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Mary
land, Connecticut, Rhode Island ant
Massachusetts.
The order came as a surprise and Il
was intended to keep it secret unit
news filtered from one Of the Mary.
land warehouse centres that instruc.
tions had been received to stop al
Withdrawals.
Only three exceptions are made. In
dustrial alcohol can be released OF
specially approved permits, sacra-
mental wines are entirely excepted
and provision is made that each Ii.
censed retail druggist can draw O
maximum Of five cases Of whiskey or
single permit.
One direct effect desired is the with
holding Of supplies from the manufact-
urers of patented medicines. tonics and
other preparations which. have flooded
the market and the stopping Of with
drawal OF any considerable shipment OF
whiskey or other spirit commonly used
for beverage. The order limiting with
drawals Is designed to drive Illicit deal.
ers from the market as a necessary first
step to xny kind of enforcement
Case Shipments Only.
Shipments to druggists will in future
be made in case lots. obviating losses
from barrels. and any issuonce Of wine
except for. sacramental purposes. .g.r
and rum will be stopped indefinitely
The order Will not be revoked uhti
stocks Of all authorized users of spirits
are at an absolute minimum. Meantime
it is hoped that bootleggers will be dis-
couraged.
Freight handlers and express employ
ees are blamed by the prohibition divi
sion of the Treasury for numerous cases
Of watered w.hiskey received and sold
by druggists and others authorized &C
handle spirits for legal use.
Hundreds OF complaints have, come to
the Revenue Bureau from persons hav-
ing prescriptions filled: and in many IN
stances from druggists and other IL
censed purveyors Of whiskey that tho
supply was ~atered or otherwise diluted
In many Instances just plain water
was added to otherwise good whiskey.
In other cases alcohol and other sub
stances have been put In frequently. ut
terly spelling the product. Chief Young
Of the withdrawal division OF the Pro-
hibition Unit stated emphatically to-day
that all whiskey withdrawn from ware
houses on permit was gauged and tested
for tax purposes Immediately before
withdrawal and had to be pure The
amount of tax paid Is dependent on the
number Of proof gallons In the barrel.
Proof gallons are the measure Of alco-
holic content. For instance. whiskey that
is 100 proof has so per cent. alcohol and
so per cent. Of other substances, mostly
water. 1t must be 100 proof when with.
drawn.
Chances for Liquor Thefts.
shipments OF Wltndrawn spirits are
made under bond. but many such ship
ments lay In express and freight Offices
for days before finally claimed or deliv-
cred. After they are received nt des-
tination. way bills ana permits must be
vised and approved by local prohibition
officers before delivery can be made by
the railroad or express Office
II is alleged that somewhere along
the line employees or others having ac-
cess to railroad or express property
drill holes In barrels or knock ou,
bungs. siphon off some liquor. FIJI up
with water and plug the containers.
A general watch has been started on
all shipments In transit. In future Il
Is likely they will be gaugcd not only
upon leaving the warehouse but on de-
livery at destination so that the point
OF loss can be ascertained.