The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1922-12-22
BOOTLEG MARKET 7
IN BENNINGTON
FACES INVASION
Holiday Season Profits Menaced
By New York Competition
SEVERE CUTS IN PRICES
Local Dealers Being Undersold
and Likely to be Left with
Stocks on Hand
SEVERE CUTS IN PRICES

Bennington bootlagSers are facing a
precarious situation. With a supply
of stock on hand in anticipation of the
holiday trade, they are being under
sold by out of town dealers in for.
bidden beverages, who are taking ad.
vantage Of the high prices charged
by our most reliable bootleggers and
securing the bulk of the Christmas
trade. The patriotic appeal of pat
ronize home industries" seems to
have little effect upon Bennington
consumers who rebel at the prices
charged.
Unless something is done in the i'm
mediate future, the first Of the new
year is going to find stocks OF liquor
left ON the hands OF Bennington deal
ers who had hoped TO get their books
all cleaned up by January 1st 1923
so that they might start the new
year with a clean slate. Several Yer
mont dealers, who are said to have
been trying for the state record for
volume of business done in 1922 are
now plunged into despair and say
that they will be outdone by both
Rutland and Burlington.
The foreign" bootleggers who have
seized the present holiday season to
rsrrp the Bennington market are
soliciting business and bring with them
a printed price list which offers the
consumer liquors from whiskey 40
Mosel wines.
Although the prices quoted below
are strictly New York prices, the
transportation charges are so small
at the present time that the product
is sold in Bennington for only slight
advance over city prices. Before
looking at the foreign" price list, il
is well to consider Bennington prices,
which. at the present time. are quoted
freely on Scotch or Rye whiskey,
several varieties Of gin and a good
brand of Canadian ale.
Whiskey sells here usually at $40
per quart at retail, although there
are instances where ii has been OBJ
tanned for SIS. a quart and ale sells at
the eXorbtant price of Sl.25 per bot
tie. Other liquors are scarce and the
price naturally varies with the supply
and demand. but all prices are high.
The city price list copied by The
Banner today advertises ten kinds
of American whskies, only one brand
OF which costs as much as brands re-
tailed in Bennington. That one kind
is nine year old Charter whiskey in
bulk which sells for SSS per gallon.
The other nine brands average
about 81 a quart and include such
we'll known whiskies as Sherwood,
Louis Hunter, Grand Dad and Green
River. The latter sells for $50 per
case.
Eleven brands OF Scotch whiskey
are quoted, including Haig and Haig.
Black and White, Dewars. Peter Daw-
son and Johnny Walker The Scotch
whiskey is substantially lower in
price than the American whiskies,
Haig and Haig selling for les than IS
per quart.
! The same Canadian ale which has
recalled in Bennington for S1.25 per
bottle sells for little more than 40 cents
bottle IL bought bv the case. Five
per cent beer is quoted, in case lots,
at less than 80 cents bottle.
English Gordon gin is less than So
per quart and all gin prices are much
lower than any OF those quoted in Yer.
mont. Among other liquors quoted,
most of which are not found in the
stocks of local bootleggers are port
wines. imported sherries, Bordeaux
wines. sauternes, Burgundy, rhine
and Mosel wines, vermouth, absinthe
imported cordials. champagne and
brandies. OF these champagne Is the
most expensive. it being quoted at
approximately $40 per quart
Under present conditions. the only
wav local dealers can clean out their
stocks bv the first of the new year
il bv substantially reducing their own
prices. A real bootleggers price war
NAV be expected for the control of the
BENNINGTON market and locau authori
ties on the subject declare material
decrease in the price of liuuor in Ben
uineton may be expected within few
days.