Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1921-01-17
That "Hang-Over"
Country Recovering
Bootlegger Declining


Washington, D. c., Jan. 15-As the
ed tonight, Prohibition Commissioner
Kramer, declared the American peo-
pie were rapidly recovering from
1 their 'hang- over" He believes they
. have begun to taper off their liquor
drinking. ~
Although liquor, some of it good
but much of it bad, still is obtainable
in large quantities, the head of the
prohibition enforcement corps be-
. lieves the first years work has
brought large measure of success.
He had expected it to be hardest
both for the law enforcing staff and
those who were deprived Of their
. beverages. 81
In the future. the commissioner
said, enforcement of the law should
become increasingly easier while
those who used to put a foot on the
brass rail should gradually become
reconciled to the saloonless era.
In our first year." said Kramer,
I'VE have seen the private stocks alb
, sorbed like lakes in the desert. We
have raided and prosecuted. We be-
lieve we have made life unpleasant
for the bootlegger and other trafficer
in whiskey. 1t has been a difficult
and sometimes dangerous job yet
those of us who have been on the job
:. itself can see changes for the better"
e But there remains much to do, the
, commissioner declared. He told of
whiskey rings" and combinations
and Of how the bureau had gathered
evidence indicating a rebirth of the
business of bootlegging in some
{. places. On the other hand, however,
Mr.. Kramer is convinced that there is
an increasing sentiment favorable to
prohibition which eventually will
compel many bootleggers to give
up"
Records of the prohibition bureau
show that fewer dealers are seeking
permits to engage legitimately in the
business of handling liquor next year.
Many of them, Mr.. Kramer said
knew in advance they would be re-
fused because they had taken a
chance" with the law. There were
more than 10000 of the permits in ex-
lstence in the past year, but there
will be perhaps NOT more than half
us many next year. The bureau has
been busy culling out the "undesira-
bles" for several months and the new
list will be held to the strictest min
imum, the commissioner declared.
During the first ten months of con-
stitutional prohibition, 35.569, 900
gallons of distilled spirits were with
drawn tax paid from bonded ware
houses. On this basis, it was official
~ estimated that Withdrawals for
the year ending tonight would ex-
coed 100000 gallons.
Such Withdrawals are permitted for
non-beverage purposes and prohibi-
ZION officials are unable to check d.
rectly on the amount which finally
Is diverted to beverage use. Mr..
Kramer said. however, that large
quantities are thus consumed and it
is one of the problems of the bureau
TO restrain this transfer.
Internal revenue records show that
Tor the fiscal year ended June 80
1919. the last full year before pro-
hibition. Withdrawals for all pur-
roses aggregated S1,600,O0O gallons
The records also show that with
drawals for beverage uses dur
ing the months Of that year aver
aged only about one fourth of the
amount taken out of bonded storage
for drinking purposes.
One of the principal problems en-
countered in the enforcement work.
Mr.. Kramer said, is the variation in
the points of view of federal attor-