The New York herald., 1922-02-17
ON LIQUOR RELEASE
TIGHTENS RED TAPE
Dry Director Compels Appli-
cants to Go in Person to
Verify Documents.

New safeguards against the fraudu-
lent release of liquor were announced
yesterday by Ralph A. Day, State Pro-
hibition Director Warehouse and dis
tilery companies have been notified by
him that from now on all applications
for liquor Withdrawals must 'oe taken
to his office and not mailed. and that a
signature of one officer of each COM
pany must be on file in the Prohibition
Directors office at all times. The ap-
plications must be certified personally
by the director or his assistant.
These regulations are expected to de-
stroy the possibility of those frauds
which have been detected by the Federal
authorities from time to time. in which
all the papers necessary for the release
of liquor have been counterfeited and all
necessary signatures forged. These
counterfeits are said to have included re-
productions of Government stationery
and of registered mail receipts. Under
the new procedure confirmation by regis
tered mail of permits to purchase will
not be required after the necessary per-
sonal verifcation has been obtained.
James F. Pershing, Jr.. the newly ap-
pointed Assistant Director will assume
office Monday. Mr.. Day said. When the
Director was asked what qualifications
Mr.. Pershing possessed other than his
relationship to Gen. Pershing and the
fact that he is Republican. he said:
Lets talk about something else"
One hundred cases of alleged viola
tion of the State liquor law were on the
calendar before Judge Mclaughlin in
Brooklyn yesterday. In sixty cases dis
posed Of all the defendants pleaded
guilty and were fined from SO to $50
each.
Wayne 3. Wheeler, national counsel
Of the Anti-Saloon League. is to visit
Brooklyn to deliver a rallying speech
to dry advocates, urging them to resist
attempts at the nulification of the
Eighteenth Amendment. His address
will be delivered Sunday evening in
Emanuel Baptist Church. Mr.. Wheeler
has started on a campaign in which he
will warn the country against electing
wet Congress. or one that is disposed
towards softening the provisions of the
dry laws.
Customs agents yesterday seized
quantity of liquor and drugs aboard
the Italian liner Caprera. There were
$3.50 grains of morphine and cocaine
wrapped in burlap, which had been con-
cealed in the ventiators. There were
three dozen bottles of whisky. Herman
L. Falk. Assistant United States Attor-
ney said no responsibility had been
fixed, but that the vessel would be
libeed.
Mr.. Falk said that the captain of the
Giuseppe Verdi on which 5000 bottles
of liquor were seized recently by GUS
toms men. would be held liable for civil
damages on account of the actions OF
members of the crew who are charged
with smuggling. Four of them were ar
rested, and held for the Grand Jury
Both the vessel and Captain Vincenzo
Romano will be libeled.
Five residents of Ridgefield Park,
y. j., who have died since Saturday
were victims of wood alcohol poisoning
it was reported yesterday. These cases
send the total of death from this cause
in New Jersey sirce January to ap-
proximately thirty. Ridgefield PARK
police caused the arrest of a saloon
Keeper. John Canova of e24 Malone
street. West Hoboken. VINO was corr
mitted yesterday 10 the Bergen county
jail on a charge of manslaughter.
The police said one of the victims.
John Best. 70, bought the LIQUOR and
bootlegge Il 20 the others. His son,
Harry Best. is one Of the dead.