Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1926-01-04
ALCOHOL PLANTS
PLAN COURT FIGHT
Big Combine of Denaturinq
Firms May Be Formed
to Wage Battle.

The Government faces stiff court
fight with the independent dena tur-
ing plants. a large ma jority of whose
permits to manufacture and sell de
natured alcohol already have been
virtually revoked in the drive to cut
off sources of supply of Illicit liquor
for the Nation
complete returns have not been
made to prohibition headquarters
here from administrators in the
field who have fun authority under
the new reorea nization to DENY per.
mits, but it was estimated today by
Director of Prohibition James T.
Jones that by far the greater part OF
aDplica tons for renewed permits b.
the independents 50 far have been
denied. Prohibition Administrator
Foster, in New York. granted only "
permits out of Is applicants.
Indications of Combine.
Already indications have come to
light pointing not only TO hard fought
legal battles over the permits. but to
possible merger Of the independent
denaturing plant manufacturers in
gigantic combine To stave off this com
Dlete disruption of their business.
With no permits. they cannot oper-
ate and their big plants were de
clared closed as OF the date when the
permits We're denied.
Some of the manufacturers in New
York already have filed suits in courts
of equity. and upon the Department Of
Justice has been laid the new respon-
sibility of defending the Government
position to keep the plants closed, if
possible. under the order of the pro
hibition administrators
Director Jones delared that some Of
the big difficulties encountered in the
enforcement OF prohibition had come
from the widespread use Of dena tured
alcohol in the bootleg industry.
Source Of Bootleg.
AS a matter of fact" he said. the
greater part Of the bootleg liquor to-
day comes from denatured alcohol.
The independent denaturinC pia nts
are different from the denaiurinG
plants operated on the premises Of
a distiIer.
The independent plant is manu-
featuring establishment. il was OK
planned which purchases pure alcohol
from another firm and then denatures
it for sale Many of the customers
Of the independent denatUring plants,
it was said. are perfumerS. extract
concerns and others. who may or ra-
not be legitimate. Hosts Of so-Called
perfumers fiaVoring extract concerns
and others have been found to he
nothing more or less than the clear
ing houses between the independent
denaturing plan and the boGtleGGers.
Final date for the renewal of per
mits for the independent dena turing
plants. as we'll q : many other kinds
of permits. has been fixed for March
81. 1926 so there may he further
action by the Government on appliCa-
tons between now and then.
Girdnc for Fight.
The Independents are cirdinG for a
stiff fight. according To reports reach
ing Washington. and are out to hire
the hest lawyers money will buy. As
they are believed by tho Government
TO be immensely wealthy, it is eX
pected the brand Of legal talent they
will he able to retain will put up
fight which may he carried on
through the courts. battling TO the last
ditch
Reports of a combine Of the "inde-
pendents" have reached officials here.
hut il is not known what direction
their cooperation in fighting the Gov
ernments denial Of permits may
take. There is no minimizing the
strength OF the fight. on the part OF
officials. who have felt for some time
that the denaturinC plants We're one
Of the principal factors in the whole
prohibition Situati ton.