New-York tribune., 1921-02-01
LitIuor Traffic
Put lin Hands
OF Druggists
Ruling for New York and
Six Other States Makes
Withdrawal Permits Held
by ALI Others Worthless
Limit of Five Cases
kramer Makes Regulation
Which Lawyers Suspect
Violates Easforceraens Act

persons who may traffic in Liquor FOR
non-beverage purposes are druggists.
Commissioner Kramer announced
this regulation from Washington last
Saturday. 1t affects seven ssates
Maryland, Pennsylvania. Rhode Island
Connecticut, Massachusetts, New Jer-
sey and New York.
As the ruling was explained yester-
day by State Director of Prohibition
Charles r, o'Connor, no one holdinr
3 pernit in any of these seven states
can deal in liquor except q druggist.
Withdrawals Barred
Withdrawals from bonded ware
houses and dissilleries are barred by
the ruling. Industrial alcohol, wines
for sacramental purposes and five cases
OF whisky at b time for each retail
druggist are the only exceptions.
The question arises, Where is the re-
tail druggist going to get his Ave
cases
From the wholesaler" says Mr..
0'Connor. But the druggist must get
his liquor from a wholesaler in the
same locality. and the wholesaler must
see 60 it that the liquor so ordered
arrives at it's proper destination and
at no other place.
The reason for localizing the traris-
portation is Co lessen the chances
which distance offers for diverting the
shipment Many case Of liquor or
dered by perfectly proper New York
permitee has gone astray on it's way
here from another state The whole-
sale thefts of liquor in trucks along
the Lincoln Highway last fall are ex-
smpies.
The entire regulation is en- at
tempt TO lessen the practice, which has
increased lately, of forging liquor with
drawaf permits. These are called cover
papers, and are made out on Forrn
14lo. The series Of alleged conapira-
eies which were brought to light in
tho early part Of January and which
had for their purpose the alleged forg-
Ing and dealing in fake liquor per-
mits showed that something like $780,
100000 worth of booze had been turned
loose in this city last year.
Permit Forms Worthless
This order seeks to render the liquor
permit-forIn 1410-worthless TO all but
druggists. It does so by rendering
such permit useless at the two recog-
nized liquor sources and the ultimate
destinations OF most withdrawal papers
the distillery and the wholesaler.
To the lay mind the question might
arise, How is the wholesaler 60 know
that a withdrawal permit sent TO him
comes from druggist in his district?
When person makes application for
! basic liquor permit, which gives him
! the right to deal in liquor, he specifies
in what way he wishes SC to deal. If
the permit is granted it is granted for
the purpose which he has specified and
the permitee is indexed by means OF q
s%<xk sRxs<. <a7~
permits; permits to sell are 'B per-
mits. Permits under which druggists
opera5e are "I" permits.
When the druggist wants 60 with
draw liquor he does SO on form 141G,
which is withdrawal permit. UP In
the right hand corner he fills in "N. T. =
his state, "I," his classification, and
then the serial number of the basic
permit under which he operates.
So now, the only permits worth forg-
ing will be "I'' permits. Mr.. O'ConnoS
10 OF the belief that this practice will
not be SO popular as formerly, be-
cause, in the first place, the quantity
of liquor which may be had on one per
nit is only FIVE cases, and In the second
place, the wholesaler will be responsible
for the delivery Of the FIVE eases to The
druggist.
Whether there will be sudden In
EfG&8S III GaS 0Eu40GE III AAhss pssS O2 Ats,
mains 20 be seen.
Permits for Physicians
Closely allied with the druggists
LIQUOR transactions are the physicians
permits-.J' permits wnicf
doctors make out prescriptions for Sht
druggists to fill on form 14o3. 4.
IL abuses result in the use o.
physicians prescriptions. there may be
strong move made to have physicianS
relieved OF the necessity Of prescrib-
ing alcohol, as the National Medica
Association issaid by the Anti-SalooE
League to have declared that there Ii
no therapeutic value In whisky.
When the new regulation is put II
effect lawyers undoubtedly will raise
Che question as to whether Commits
sioner Kramer has the right to change
the regulations relative to che manu-
facture, sale, barter. transportation, de
livery, purchase and use OF tntoxicat
ing liquor under title II of the ma
tional prohibition act Of October 2s
1919, providing for the enforcement Of
the Eighteenth Amendment.
Il lis understood from these regula
sions that persons after having com
Piled with the procedure attending th'
liquor, and after having been grantee
tt, have the right to use that .permi
for the purpose for which II wa
granted.
Other rulings By Mr.. Kramer hav
raised in the minds CT lawyers tn
question Of how great is his power t.
abolish the regulations of the pro
hibition act. It is safe TO say that hi
ruling will do this, for there are page
in the regulations telling how whole
salers shall conduct themselves. law
yers say, and Mr.. Kramer By hi
latest ruling practically wipes then
out Of the book.
Mr.. 0tConnor, however, said that tn
ruling was only temporary.
Westchester INN Raided
Three prohibition agents went t
oodmansten Inne on Wiiliamshrsdg
Road, Westchester, yesterday morninl
and raided the place. They are sait
TO have had drinks served to them 9
table, whereupon they arrested tn
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