Evening star., 1925-05-20
CARLOAD OF BEER
NABBED ON BORDER
SkepticaI Dry Agents Make
Find in Shipment Billed
as Lumber.

The Government's frightened border
barrier against rum from Canada
caught a carload Of lumber" yester-
day somewhere on the New York
border"
The freight car was labeled. billed
and looked like lumber from Canada,
but when customs agents probed
deeper behind the piles of lumber in
front they discovered 168 barrels of
real beer
This was announced at the Treas
ury today as among the big hauls
made In the campaign to prevent
liquor from seeping down from the
north since the Coast Guard has shut
off, temporarily at least, the supply
from rum row offshore.
Beer to Be Destroyed.
Orders have been forwarded from
the Treasury for the destruction OF
the beer, and it was expected that the
168 barrels sometime today would CUR
gle out upon dry American soil under
the watchful eyes Of customs officials.
Meantime, as the Coast Guard kept
up its war on sea and the prohibition
unit endeavored to intensity It's drive
by land, Treasury officials were await
ing a decision by Controller General
McCarl as to whether the Coast Guard
may operate forfeited ships. Mr.. Nc
Carl recently decided that only Gus
toms and prohibition money was men,
toned in the new bill enacted by the
last Congress, providing for the oper-
alton Of vehicles and vessels forfeited
in enforcement of the customs or pro
hibition laws. Coast Guard funds, he
held, could not be used.
Liquor Cases Probed.
Liquor cases brought up at hear
ing by the Couzens committee investi-
eating the Internal Revenue Bureau,
as revealed yesterday for the first
time in reports Of the hearing. In
cluded those Of the Bernheim Distil-
ling Co. Of Louisville, KY, and the
Schenley Products Co of Midway.
KY, alleged to be making sales to
New York druggists under fraudu-
lent permits. Senator Couzens asked
why these cases were dropped, and
bition unit, a witness, said the agents
should have followed them up.
) Records in the prohibition unit,
Senator Couzens also said. showed
that in the case Of the Continental
Distributing Co. of Baltimore, hand
lers Of sacramental wine, wine was
being sold to gentiles, but the case
was permitted to drop. He also de-
clared that on April /, 1924. prohibi-
ton agents were advised that a car
load of beer was being unloaded at
Baltimore, but no effort was made to
identify or prosecute the brewing
company which put 1t on the market
Says Prosecution Was Baked.
The Burlington Industrial Alcohol
Co. Of Philadelphia had been reported
to the prohibition unit, Mr.. Couzens
continued, as violating the prohibition
law, but no agent was ever assigned
to the case. Mr.. Britt said the pro
hibition unit twice tried to prosecute,
but had been restrained by the courts
The Department of Justice, mean
while, announced a new policy with
respect to cabarets, saloons, .restau-
rants, soft drink establishments and
other places where liquor is oeira sold.
It has been introduced at Detroit.
where liquor is being smuggled from
Canada, and where the United States
attorney will use patrons of raided
places as witnesses, prosecute the pro-
prietors crininally, seek paddock or
ders TO close the places for a year,
and get orders for the destruction of
bars, fixtures, equipment, furniture,
etc, which In some instances are rath-
er elaborate. Heretofore, destruction
orders have been restricted mainly to
breweries and other places where
liquors are manufactured.
uaIJrAY VS CROWnFD