The Seattle star. [volume] (Seattle, Wash.) 1899-1947, 1923-07-20
HIGH COST or HooCH
Is DETRIMENT TO SSIIGGf Frs

IL DETIiiMENT TO SSIUGGI FRS
Tho most effective bar 10 hmuE.
sled importailons from Canada 10
the high cost OF iiqaor In Quebec.
The sale Of alcoholic beverages IN
this province only province IN
Eastern Canada wiero liquor "a 20
be- obiained--ls handled directly by
the government, Only a retail busi.
ness Is conducted. and The fixed
prise pSr bottle Il maintained 70.
gariloaz OF tho Aixs Of the purchase.
Furthermore. whisky, gin and
rum may be obtained only one bottle
at tims. To load a truck with
whisky thus requires great patisneo,
unless the regulations Of the liquor
commission arc violated. But even
II a smugFicr II abAv 10 buy whisky
IN case lots. the price Il high. Both
the Dominion government and the
Provincial government exact fat
profits from the nauor traffic. the
one In tbs form Of an excise tax
md the other In maintaining high
selling prices.
The average price Of whisky sold
Ia tho liquor commission storss q
81 per bottle. The expense Of
Rmugging Il across tho border and
OF rehandllng II several times be.
fore Il reaches the consumer toorta
the retail price 20 $40 and more per
bottle. As result, liquor imported
from Canada is too expensive 20
compete with that smuEFled in from
rum ships. and does not AZ a rule
enter tho Hamn market. Most Of 4,
~ sold In The cities Of Northern
New York. Western Pennsylvania.
Ohio and Michigan.
STORES ALONG BORDER
DO BIG BUSINESS
STORES located along The Amer.
lean border do from 10 20 20 times
az much business. considering the
actual population served. M the
liquor stores located elsewhere In
Quebec" an official Of the Quei~c
LIQUOR commission informed me in
Montreal
Officially no one knows WIN.
causes this business boom-unoffi.
cially Il ia well known that the
excess oil flows into New York
either under tho direct auspices OF
consumers or az bootleggers' stock.
Not all the liquor sold IN the
United States M coming from Cana.
da rs genuine. Bootloggerr have
resorted TO counterfeit labels 20 such
an extent that the liquor commits.
sion has fallen back on water.
marked wrapping paper as the most
effective way OF preventing the
growth Of this practice. Until re.
Gently the commission was using
engraved stamps. similar 10 Amerl.
can revenue stamps. which were
pasted over tho tops Of bottles. on
the one side, and running upwards.
WA printed Commission des LID.
uenrs do Quebec" and on tho other.
running down, appeared Tho Que.
bee Liquor Commission" Officials
Of the commission showed me fake
stamps that had been sent them by
consumers in various parts OF the
United States in which the printing
was reversed. and the word The"
was left off the English title.
Canadian liquors also cross into
the United States at Detroit. BE.
tween Lake Eric and Lake ST.
Clair. the Detroit river, tho bound.
airy between Michigan and Ontario,
offers an ideal place for smuggling
operations. At Detroit, tho river is
about half mile wide. From Wind.
sor on the Canadian side TO Detroit,
across the river. fast motor boats.
usually under cover Of darkness,
bring in their liquor cargoes with
but little interference
UM.RUNNERS or DETROIT
HIDE IN LIGHTHOUSES
A prohibition navy" of several
motor boats In now patrollng this
battle front" but 40 lined with
lighthouses " the Detroit sido OF
the river that rumrunncrs are able
TO skim across the half mile or
water and into the protection OF.
fercd by n penthouse before the
patrol can Interfere
Not long ago story was wide.
spread In Detroit that q big boot.
logging syndicate was building a
pipe line under the Detroit river.
utterly rldlculous!" WIS The corn.
ment Of the man in tho street.
why bother with pip. lines, when