Perth Amboy evening news., 1922-11-15

sences have not complained to the
Postoffice Department. AS the pro-
moter undoubtedly foresaw, they
are afraid of the prohibition law
which nobody seems to understand
any too well.
But other Americans who have
no cellars or no thirst have be-
come indignant when they receiV-
ed the circulars. Protests by the
hundreds have been coming into the
Postoffice Department from citizens
who protested against the mails
containing matter of such illegal
tendencies, especially as the propo-
sition seemed to have a catch in it
somewhere.
The postal officials investigated,
and the Bureau of Chemistry anal
yzed the mixture, with the result
that a fraud order was issued last
May against the German company.
The government chemists report
ed that the preparation was found
ITO consist essentially of two in
gradients, viz, fruit of a rose COM
monty called rose hip and a fruit of
the prunus family. apparently a
buckthorn." The report further said
1t is impossible for these ingred-
ACLlS " pICpdIe SldlludIu WHITES Ol
any kind and certainly not those re-
ferred to in the advertising matter.
No wines of recognized quality and
' character can be made from the
! mixture examined"
Anyone who stopped to consider
would realize that while European
wines at European prices may seem
cheap to us in view of bootleg quo
tations. two and a half gallons Of
real wine could hardly be compress
ed by machinery and sold profta-
bly, for a dollar.
The fact is about the only thing
the American customer could get
out Of this deal is the thrill of feel
ing that he is in touch with the ro-
mantle atmosphere of old European
vineyards. Aside from getting mail
postmarked from a German city.
even the thrill is imitation.
Better materials for making bev-
erages could be bought at the cor
ner store than the mystic prepara-
ton from the European factory.
Firm Takes New Name
In spite Of government attack, this
particular firm hobs up under a new
name and in a different European
city every few weeks and operates
p~rofitably until the government gets
out a new supplemental fraud order
to its latest name.
When this occurs. mail addressed
to the company is ordered returned
to the sender stamped "Fraudu-
lent: Mail to this address returned
by order of the Postmaster Gener-
al" If no return address is given
the mail goes to the dead letter Of
nee. Postmasters are also forbidden
to make out postal money orders
to the company named.
This German firm is not the only
n of it's kind, though it is appar,
emily the most prosperous and ir-
repressible. A number of schemes
of a different sort for relieving the
thirst of America have been evolved
in Canada. One Toronto man sent
out circulars with a letter head
IS Pure Canadian Rye, the
Beverage of your Granfathers."
This circular, widely distributed by
mail, offered IL full quarts of Cam
adian y shipped to any point in
the United States for SIS and safe
delivery guaranteed.
The United States and Canadian
postal authorities both investigated
this project. The mans alibi was
that he had no intention of violating
the American prohibition laws.
Nothing was further from his mind
than to ship any liquor into the
United States. Instead he intended
/ osend twelve full quarts of Cana
dian rye-grain. So far as the off,
Gals could learn, no shipments of
grain had been made to customers
in return for their money when the
investigation was conducted.
Whether or not this project was
a violation Of the prohibition law,
the intent to mislead the public was
obvious. and-a fraud order was is
sued closing the mails TO the in
genious Canadian, who, by the way,
originally hailed from the United
States =
Other promoters in Montreal and
Quebec have tried variations Of
this scheme. Generally the idea
seems to be to offer the liquor, get
the money and orders for shipments
and then close out without sending
anything. To gain a little time for
business, If customers get impatient,
some subterfuge, like sending the
grain, is employed.