The Washington times., 1921-01-31
j. S. TOL|M|T
RUM DEALERS
Prohibition Officials Plan SO
Per Cent Cut in List Of
Legal Dispensers.

Violators among legalized whis-
key dealers henceforth face stiff
penalties for infractions of the Vol
stead law. Breaking away from q
policy of light fines and minimum
assessments, Prohibition Commits
sioner Kramer has given the word
that not only permit holders, but
their bondsmen hereafter, are TO
suffer extreme punishment, war
ranted by the law.
TO CURB BONDsMEN.
Maximum penalties are to be insist
ed upon by prohibition officials, and
bondsmen are to be held to stricter
account, besides the usual penalty OF
suspension or revocation OF licenses.
Under the new policy laid down by
Commissioner Kramer all successful
applicants for permits must meet
rigid bonding requirements including
the collection OF the full amount OF
bonds, in the cases which are most
grave, and which lack evidence to
show that the permit holders alleged
infruction of the regulations was not
willful
Along with this new attitude. pro-
|hibition officials are striving today
to eliminate from the permit lists.
probably 80 per cent or more OF those
now engaged in the legal selling OF
whiskey and other intoxicants CHER
among those whom the bureau aims
to weed out of business are many
wholesale dealers, who Withdraw
and sell whiskey upon big scare.
Commissioner Kramer has traced 10
many of such dealers, numerous IL
~ NJ lamar
legal sale through bootleg channels.
LID CLAMPED DOWN.
The "dry" lid was down tighter to-
day throughout the wet" belt, than
at any other time since the prohibit
ton law went into effect. All sources
of whiskey supply in the main dis
tillery and bonded warehouse district
covering seven large eastern States
were shut on through Kramer's lat
est order, effective today, holding up
all Withdrawals of every character,
regardless of Government permits In
good standing, except to supply wine
for sacramento purposes, alcohol for
Industrial uses or a very limited sup
ply of whiskey to retail druggists, as
a safeguard against sudden medical
demand.
The whiskey sources were to remain
closed for an indefinite period. Off
Gals declared. The ban will not be
lifted, probably for several weeks.
Commissioner Kramer today expected
an early decision from the Depart
ment of Justice, more clearly defining
the status of wholesale whiskey
dealers under the Volstead act. He
confidently expected 1t would show
he has the power to restrict the oper-
atoms of practically all dealers, with
in such narrow limits, that future
evas ons of the law will become
virtually impossible.
RULINGS ARE OPPOSED.
Commissioner Kramer today felt so
sure that he would be upheld by the
Attorney General, in his plan for re-
strictions of the severest character.
that he was ready to set the machin-
cry in motion to slash lists of permit
holders down to the lowest minimum.
Full reports are on file at head
for renewals of old permits, and the
by Federal directors, run into a high
percentage of the total number Of
permits outstanding.
The sharp reductions in permits,
now anticipated, have brought delega-
tions of lawyers streaming into WASH
ington daily, seeking to reverse the
findings of the State directors. or of
the Federal supervising agents. Thou
sands of permit holders, who have
been subjected TO closest inquiry,
having learned their applications
have been rejected, are exercising
their rights of appeal to the Prohi-
bition Commissioner, and that Of
ficiafs daily calendar is filled with