Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1924-05-01
GOTHAM To De WET
AS ATLANTIC OCEAN
DURING Convention
by ROBERT 7. SMALL
Especial Leased Wire 10 The Journal)
IConvrirht 1924

Copyright, 1920
NEW YORK, April 2G.-From
present prospects it looks as if New
York would be about as wet as the
Atlantic ocean during the Demo
cratic national convention.
The bootleggers of the metropolis
seem to have gained the impression
of course they are wrong-that
one reason the convention was voted
to this city was because OF the eff
ficiency of the bootlegging trade.
So they are taking no little pride in
the ARRANGEMENTS they are making
TO care for what they believe will
be a thirsty army descending upon
these hOspitable shores along about
June p, next. The profession de
sires to show the delegates-and
alternates-eXact what real high
class bootlegGing means. They eX-
pect above all things to amaze the
pilgrims with the low prices which
prevail in this market.
Naturally the committee of ar
rangements for the convention has
had no truck with the bootleggers.
The committee has received the
guarantee of the hotels that they
will not boost their prices in any
way. The New York hotels will not
insist, as the Cleveland hotels are
doing, that there shall be pay for
three persons in a room regardless
of how many occupy the chamber.
Nor will the New York hotels insist
upon a six or seVen-day contract.
They say the delegates may come
when they please and so when they
please. OF course the local bOnifaces
know the Democrats. They know
the convention will last far more
than any SIX or seven-day period, so
the contract idea would mean moth
ing.
Restaurants Plan killing
After committing the hotels, the
committee set about to line up the
restaurants. Here it was found that
some had made plans to boost their
rates during the Democratic con
clave., This prospective rise has
been promptly squelched, however,
and normal rates will prevail in all
the eating places, cafeterias and
automats included.
The boOtleggers have agreed
among themselves that they will not
be outdone in hospitality by the
hotel-keepers and the Testaurateurs.
They, too, will not so on 4 DrOflteer-
ing basis. Instead of thinking Of in
creased prices they are concerned at
the moment only with the Thought OF
getting enough hard drink into the
city caches 50 that no man during
the convention season shall go thlrs-
ty so long as he has the price of a
drink or u bottle.
Whisky prices have been standard
lied in New York for some time, with
little or no variation for the past six
months. The moving Of the rum fleet
from the three-mile limit to the II
mile limit had no appreciate effect
upon the scale of prices. Good Scotch
is selling at from $50 to $50 case,
laid down at hotel, club or home.
Poorer qualities can be had at cheap
er prices. Bottle prices range from
S. to 81.
Push-Cart Saloon Found
The bootleggers may be entirely
wrong about increased demand which
will come to them from the Demo
cratic convention but they do not
propose to be taken by surprise.
They want to have plenty on hand.
They also have been reading about
the efforts of the national prohibit
ton authorities to dry up Cleveland
in anticipation of the Republican con-
vention which is to meet there on
June 10. The Republican gathering
will be a brief one at best. Here in
New York there is no telling how
long the convention will be in session.
At no time since prohibition has
there been greater activity than at
present among the bootlegGers. One
big going tug boat has been
captured four times within the last
few months, filled to the gunWales
with liquor. Each time a case comes
up the boat is freed under bond and
it Immediately returps to its evil
ways.
~ An entirely new phase of retail
bootlegging was discovered Easter
Sunday. A perambulatinss saloon
was discovered in the shape of a
push cart. 1t was well stocked and
doing a thriving business on the
east side at 40 cents a drink.