The New York herald., 1921-08-27
DRY CHIEF ORDERS
HOOCH DESTROYED
All Moonshine and Syn
thetic Whiskey Held Af-
ter Seizure Included.
GENUINE GOODS SPARED
This VIII Be Given to Hos
pitfalls and Cost of Stor-
age Eliminated.
TO AUCTION MOTOR CARS
Commissioner Haynes Plans to
Sweep Away Enormous Stock
of COnfiscated Articles.
Special Despatch TO THE NEW York HERALD.
New York Herald Bureau,
Washington, ID. c., Aug. go.

Special Despatch to THE NEW YoRK HEnALD
New York Herald Bureau.
Washington, ID. c., Aug. 20.
Moonshine and synthetic liquors
held by the courts, prohibition officers
and other Government officials are to
be destroyed at once under orders
issued by Prohibition Commissioner
Haynes to-day.
Good whiskey, wine, beer, gin and
rum, which constitute only a small
portion OF the seized liquor, are to be
sold to hospitals and other institutions
and the records cleared Of all stocks
of seized liquors. Automobiles, real
estate and other property held through
seizures under the Volstead act are
to be sold at public auction.
Orders by Commissioner Haynes
were prompted by the fact that for
some reason previous instructions with
regard to the disposal OF property held
under seizures had been largely ig-
nored.
1t Is estimated that liquors held in
New York State, and mostly in New
York City, together with automobiles
and other vehicles, have value of
s50o0,000. This is apart from the vast
customs stores of liquor held, effort
to dispose OF which was made several
months ago without success.
Accurate figures on the wholesale, or
disposal, value of the property to be
destroyed, as we'll as that to be turned
over to hospitals or other institutions
on purchase are not available COM
plete check in the prohibition office has
been ordered by Commissioner Haynes,
but 1t will be several weeks before the
figures are ready. Reports now avail
able are fragmentary and most of them
are made as of July l, the beginning
OF the fiscal year.
Disposal of the products held Is an
economy measure. Many automobiles
and other vehicles of alleged Illegal
transportation as we'll as vast quantities
OF synthetic or doctored whiskey ana
other drinks are now held in private
storage at rates that are making d
big inroad into prohibition funds.
Others of the liquors are stored IN
Government warehouses, but under a
daily expense for watchmen.
In his instructions to all prohibition
directors. Mr.. Haynes said:
mo doubt a considerable portion of
property in storage was seized under
nection with criminal cases which have
since been disposed of. AS to any such
seized property there appears to be no
good reason for Its continued storage.
inasmuch as under the provisions of the
national prohibition act the court should
order disposition thereof. You should,
therefore, request the United States
Attorney to Immediately petition the
court for an order of disposition OF
such property and exert every effort to
bring about disposition at the earliest
possible date.
Attention Is invited here to the pro-
visions of the law holding that. in cases
in which no criminal proceedings are
pending and there is no proof OF owner
ship. liquor such as moonshine, adul-
terated and low proof liquor. having no
commercial value. which was seized un-
der the national prohibition act should
be destroyed. II there is under seizure
in your district any materials falling
within this class you should take neces-
sary steps to cause the same to be i'm
mediately destroyed"