Indiana daily times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1914-1922, 1921-12-22
500 NEW DRUG
STORES IN n. 7.
UNDER DRY LAW
Spring Up Like Mushrooms in
Place of Saloons With
Coming of Prohibition.
Hush, little gin MILL
Don't you cry!
You'll be a drug store
BY and by.

You'll be a drug store
By and by.
NEW YORK, Dec. 22.-The increas in
the number of new drug stores. starr I'd
since the eighteenth amendment became
effective, has focused the attention of
local enforcement officials upon the in
creased amount of distilled liquors dis
pensed by these establishments. More
than 600 new drug stores have sprung up
in the metropolitan area within the last
year. according to local dry officials.
Prohibition Director Yellowley de-
clared that in numerous cases it was
found that these drug stores are owned
by men who formerly conducted saloons
but found their incomes curtailed by
rigid enforcement of the VOlstead act.
The ease with which a druggist can OBJ
tain a permit to sell spirituous liquors
led many -saloOnkeepers to purchase
Old-estabhshed drug stores, only to turn
them into bOotlegging joints within a
short time. Investigation proved that
these former saloonkeepers frequently
purchased drug stores, paying a fancy
price in order to get the liquor permit
of the owner, thus great simplifying his
operations as a bootlegger.
NEED NOT
BE REGISTERED.
The New York State Pharmacy law
IOes not require that drug owner be a
registered pharmacist; merely reciting
the necessity Of having such a registered
practitioner on duty in the drug store
during certain hours. Licensed prescrip-
ton cOmpOunders are available in this
| territory at $40 per week.
Many of these mushroom" drug
stores, after their purchase by ex saloon
/ EePnarS aip
fumes, patent medicines and other sun
dries at reduced prices in order to at
tract large trade. When a customer Is
known to the owner Of the store he Is
approached with an offer of booze. In
a short time an extremely profitable
business in liquor is built up. and the
drug trade assumes secondary Importance
being used merely as a cloak for the real
business of boOtlegging carried on by
the store owner.
When the saloons began to disappear
here more than a year ago they were
replaced by soda fountains, confection-
cry, cigar and fruit stores Recently
these in their turn have given place to
modern drug stores, carrying all the side.
lines to be found in the legitimate dis
pensing- establishments and catering to a
new trade through their ability to cut
prices below competitors
| CITIZENS
/ COMPLAINED.
Attention Of the dry agents was called
to activities of these drug stores when
complaints were received from citizens
| that they were urged to buy booze
whenever they purchased articles at these
stores. Chief Enforcement Director
Yellowley launched a campaign against
these pseudo-druggists, with the result
/ that many were arrested charged with
violation Of the prohibition law, and
| heavy fines were imposed This did not
serve to drive the illegel sellers out OF
the business, however. as their profits
We're declared to be so enormous that
| they willingly risked further heavy fines
! in order to rake in the thousands Of dol
/ lars to be made in dispensing liquor. 1t
was found that a man could buy liquor
/ in these stores without the fOrmality OF
/ obtaining a prescription.
! When an ex-saloon keeper entered the
drug" business his first step was to OBJ
/ tain an Il" permit from the State prohf-
bitiOn director. Under present regula-
| lions a retail druggist holding such q
permit is entitled to Withdrawals Of 100
/ gallons Of distilled spirits, including
/ alcohol. whisky brandy, gin and rum,
and 400 gallons of wine with one year
Director Yellowley said there are now
! 5000 Of these - permits in effect in the
metropolitan district.
| NEVER BEFORE
SAW so MANY.
! Peter Diamond. secretary of the COM
mittee on prohibition of the New York
pharmaceutical conference, said that
never In the history of pharmacy have
there been so many drug stores in New
York City the prOprietors of which are
not registered pharmacists as there are
today. He said that when saloon keepers
had to close their shops it was natural
that they should enter the nearest kin
bred business, which was the drug
| trade
Diamond said the increase in the num-
Der of candy stores, soda-lunch counters
ana restaurants was a logical sequence
to the passing Of the saloon, but the soda
trade OF the average drug store is too
small a part Of its business to account
Tor the student popularity of retail drug
stores.
| Inc pharmaceutical committee is now
cooperating with the prohibition OFFICIALS
IN an effort to confne liquor permits to
legitimate drug dealers of long standing
Ihis, combined with increased viqfIaDcs
of enforcement agents, it is be1iavad
VIII gradually result in wedding ont tba
! Do0tIegging druo1ists "