The Washington times., 1921-01-23
PATENT RUM
. BIG PROBLEM
Dry Agents Curb Whiskey Evil,
But Are Helpless in War
on "Tonics."

pfcItTtnCc I'd Wnisheys
NEW PROBLEM ARISES.
Whiskey has ceased to be a prob
lem for the Washington prohibition
enforcement agents, and ip Its stead
has risen a greater menace-patent
medicines, according TO prohibition
enforcement officials
Prohibition officials admit they
are up against the biggest problem
they ever tackled. and they say they
are not quite sure but that they are
powerless to do anthing.
in the past three weeks. about
fiften small merchants In washing
ton have been arrested for selling
these patented preparations. and In
every case a chemical analysis has
been returned by the chief chemist
of the INernal Revenue Bureau
showing that the samples submitted
TO him are fit for beverage purposes.
UP TO HIGHER-UPs.
The local prohibition officers say
they are waiting for word from Of
ficials higher up before proceeding
against the persons who sell these
preparations. and the officials higher
up say they do not believe they can
make out case. There the matter
ends.
Major Harry Il. Gessford, superin-
tendent OF police, OF Washington,
says he can clean up the Washing
ton market for these preparations
IL the prohibition bureau will tell
him what preparations to get of
the market, but that he Is powerless
tc make move until he gets word
from the prohibition bureau.
The Anti-Saloon League is OF the
opinion that a little more agrees
siveness on the part of prohibition
officials would put an end to the
traffic in them here.
Some of the preparations contain
as much as 81 per cent alcohol,
while others contain not less than
12 per cent and are free from medi-
cants, making them suitable for
beverage purposes.
CHEAPER THAN BOOTLE0.
The persons who drink the prepara-
tions have admitted in many instances
that they prefer drinking them to
| whiskey for the reason that they
know what they are getting when
they drink them and they do not
know what they are drinking when
they buy bootleg whiskey." Another
factor that tends to favor the pat
| ented preparations is the fact that
| they are cheaper.
Several persons who have been
frequent Gust omers of the places
which sell these preparations say
| that there must be dope in them be-
cause they have been unable to stop
drinking the stuff.
Under the Prohibition law, any
manufacturer Of a patented prepara-
found fit for beverage purposes
should be notified that his permit will
be cancelled unless he can show that
he did not know his product was so
| fit or that it has been adulterate ed
since leaving his possession.
MANUFACTURES CONTINUES.
Although numerous concotions have
been proven TO be fit for beverage
purposes, not a single manufactures
has been notified to stop manufactur-
ing, it was said at headquarters. In
one case the Prohibition Bureau sent
out notice to one of the state
directors ordering him to close down
certain manufactures. butt he has
never served the notice, it rs said
The prohibition bureau officials ex-
cuse their failure to take action
against every one selling these pat
ent preparations by saying that some
of the preparations are found to be of
varying grades, and while one bottle
of a certain brand of medicine ex-
amined is found to be it for bev-
erage purposes. another bottle of the
same brand of medicine, taken from
the same merchant, is found to be un-
fit for beverage purposes. This
evasion of the law Is wilfully done,
prohibition officials believe, to give
the product advertising las the best
substitute for whiskey on the mar
ket.
DISTRIBUTED REAL BEER.
Prohibition officials say they have
evidence on certain brewery in the
East, which made old-time beer and
served 1t to it's customers, driving
competitors out of business. Tho
plan was simple. 1t made near-beer
and delivered 1t to saloons through
out the city. very day certain sec
ton Of the city was served with the
real beer, instead of near-beer, the
section being changed every day. In
this manner persons drinking the
beer in their ghborhood very often
obtained the real beer and advertised
the fact to their friends that the
"near-beer" put out by the brewery
was the best they ever drank.
II the person happened to be in the
business section of the city he would
when he was not able to get It in his
residential section. In this manner
the fame Of the beer spread through
out Che city and to the surrounding
cities and the brewerey was forced to
work overtime to meet the demands.
Finally the Prohibition Bureau dis
covered the scheme and closed the
brewerey.
1t is the same with many of the pat
ent med cine preparations, they claim.
One lot is manufactured without the
medicants and this lot serves to ad-
vertise the entire product
Another reason given by the prohi-
bition officials IL that when the form
ula is presented to them with the re-
quest for a permit to manufacture It,
sufficient medicants arc In IL to pre-
vent it's being used as beverage
except By the most hardy. Then the
permit lis issued In compliance with
law and the manufacturer puts up
a