The New York herald., 1921-03-30
SEIZED WINES FOR
CHURCH USE, SAYS.
FIRM ON BOWERY'
Kramer Calls Halt Here on
Removal From Storage OF
S25O,0O0 Worth.
FAKE RABBIS ACTIVE
Each Jewish Family Al
lowed Ten Gallons a Year
Tor Religious services.
Il. S. DRY HEAD is COMING
Direct Evidence Is Claimed by
Brooklyn Man Of Big Sales
Without Law.
L. S. DRY HEAD is COMING

Prohibition Commissioner John f.
Kramer is expected to arrive here to-
day from Washington to decide whether
the seizure on Monday of S250,0O0
worth of domestic and imported wines
in the warehouse of the Menorah Wine
Company at Ito Bowery was legal.
Attorneys for the Garrett Wine
Company, of which the Menorah Wine
Company is subsidiary, had talk
with Commissioner Kramer In Wash
ington yesterday, at which they pro-
tested against the conflscation, charg-
ing that the enforcement agents under
Chief Agent Ernest S. Langley ex-
ceeded their powers in making the
seizure.
After talking over the long distance
telephone to Agent Langley and Pro-
hibition Director Charles r. O'Connor
about the case, Commissioner Kramer
signified his intention of coming to the
city to investigate.
Pending the inquiry Commissioner
Kramer ordered the discontinuance of
the removal Of the wines from the Bow
warehouse. which had been going ON
since late Monday afternoon. There
were 500 barrels and $500 small cases
of wine involved in the seizure, the
larger portion Of which had been carried
away in automobile trucks before the
I. 4r.
Permit Is still Pending.
1t develops that an application for a
liquor permit had been made on March
IA by the Menorah Wine Company to
manufacture and sell wines for sacra-
mental purposes through the Garret
Wine Company, which has a permit and
Is a reputable concern of long standing
AS far as could be learned yesterday the
Menorah application has either been
approved in Washington or approval is
pending
Agent Langley declared that he had
evidence to show that the Menorah
Company had established six branches
in this city and wine had been purchased
at each OF these by enforcement agents
without permits. and that these places
were doing business without Government
authorization.
Agent Langley also charges that the
six branches have been selling wines to
dummy rabbis who are authorized
under the law to approve ten gallons of
wine each year for each Jewish family
in their congregations, to be used in the
practice of religious rites In the homes
Of such members.
Director O'Connor said last night he
was investigating report that written
a anth ri iya hy
families to purchase wines were being
sold on the East Side at 81 apiece for
ten gallon purchasing orders.
Hears Many Are Forged.
1--WE have on file in our office here
several hundred approved applications
for rabbis to authorize the purchase of
wines to each family in their congrega-
tion,p explained Director O'Connor.
Each approved application contains the
number OF families TO be served and
thus far we have found no case of
violation.
"A rabbi signs a written order 20 each
family, any member of which can take
Il to a wine merchant holding a permit
and purchase the designated amount.
Only yesterday II was called 10 my at
tention that many OF these authorize
tions were being forged and bartered on
the East SIDE ana elsewhere IN tnls
city. SO far as I know the Menorah
Wine Company at 10 Bowery had not
been selling along these lines"
Rabbi Rosen OF the First Rumanian
CONGREGATION, at 80 to 93 Rivington
street, has the largest family congrcga-
ton in New York to be served with
sacramental wines. According to his
application he has $500 families scat
tered throughout the city. to which
25, 900 gallons of wines are eligible each
year
I'VE are also investigating a report
that a number of rabbis' names have
been forged to family orders" said Di-
rector O'Connor. 1T can be readily seen
that this would be a somewhat easy mat
ter, though not easy to detect. as no in
didivual record of sacramental wine pur-
chase are required TO be filed In my Of
flee. Up TO now we have taken the
word of rabbits that there we're no ir-
reguiarities in such transactions"