The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1921-02-05
LIQUOR WARE
HOUSES TO CLOSE
Chief Prohibition Officer Kram.
er Adopts Stricter Measures
To Stop Sale of Liquor

washington, Feb. 2.---Doors of dis
tlllerlcS and bonded warehouses In
every state in the union, Hawaii and
Puerto Rico were ordered Indefinitely
closed against liquor Withdrawals to-
day by prohibition Commissioner
Kramer. Al the same time wholesale
Liquor dealers were ruled out OF fur
uher participation in the sale of in.
toxicatin.; beverages by ATTORNEY
General Palmer
Commissioner kraincr'S drastic or.
der stopping the How Of liquor from
storage and the attorney generals
Interpretation OF the Volstead act.
prohibition officials said, mean the
elimination Of the Wholesale liquor
dealers and make possible the pre-.
vention OF "booelegging" through
forged permits and illegal disposal OF
intoxicunts.
StODpagn OF liquor Withdrawals all
over the country and in two OF tho
territories was an extension OF the
order issued last week putting ban
OH removals in New York, Pcnnsyl-
vanla, Maryland, Massachusetts, Con-
necticut, Rhode Island and New Jer-
Withdrawals OF industrial alcohol or
reasonable quantities OF saciamental
wine, and makes an exception in the
case or re:ail druggists, who are per-
mittcd 10 make Withdrawals up TO
i've cases OF liquor ut time.
Warming against attempts 10 obtain
whishey despite tho nationwide ban
was sent out by Commissioner Kra-
mer, who direo.ed all owners Of dis
tii!eiics and warehouses not TO honor
permits for whiskey withdraw
purpoIting to be issued Ivy any state
directors irrespective OF the date such
permit is issued or approved by the
dlrecto: No such applications are
being approved, he said, adding that
failure TO comply with the notice
would deprive owners Of their license
10 hold their stock still in storage.
Mr.. Palmer's opinion was made
public by Internal Revenue Commits
sioner Williams and was said by rev.
enue bureau officials to constitute the
authority upon which the, sweeping
closing orders were Issued.
Wholesale liquor dealers. the ut
torney general held, are entitled to
dispose OF their warehouse receipts
for liquor stored in bonded Pc ware
houses to manufacturers and whole
sale druggists but the right to with
draw said liquors from bonded ware
houses Is granted to manufacturers
and ho!esalc druggisis only"
On the question OF the authority OF
the prohibition commissioner to issue
permits to sell liquor in wholesale
quantities the attorney general held
that power was limited to manufac-
turers and Wholesale druggists.
Win respect 10 Industrial alcohol
Mr.. Palmer held the authority to
issue permits for its disposal in
wholesale quantities was limited TO
manufacturers and Wholesale drug
sists if the alcohol was fit for bever-
ago purposes but not if it were de-
iLa tun'cd.
1T is obvious the attorney gen
erai declared, that the concentration
Of the liquor business in tho hands
Of IL few people is well calculated to
render more simple and effective the
restraining Of the business within
proper and legal channels"
Liquor now in commercial ware
houses, however, prohibition officials
explained, is exempt from the attOr-
ney generals ruling and Commiss on
CT klamcrs ban since such liquor Is
considered 20 be IN the posse 5sion Of
t!;c owner.