Evening star., 1926-04-07
$500, 900, 900 Annual Busi-
ness Has DeIuged Courts.
Federal Prosecutor Says.
SEES 10000, 900 GALLONS
OF ALCOHOL DIVERTED
Drug Stores, Getting Twice as
Much Liquor as Needed, Accused
of Illegal Practice.
BY G. GOULD LINCOLN.


gard to prohibition enforcement in
Greater New York were graphically
described to the Senate judiciary sub
committee by United States Attorney
Emory d. Buckner at the wet" and
dry hearings today.
A picture of courts so crowded with
cases as TO be from one to four years
behind in their business. Of hordes OF
minor offenders under the Volstead
act arrested and turned loose because
Of the impossibility of trying them or
preserving the evidence against them.
and finally Of millions of gallons Of
alcohol diverted from denaturing
plants to the bootleg trade was drawn
by Mr. Euckner.
Mr., Buckner, using Government fig.
ures, estimated that the presumable
amount of alcohol supposedly for in
dustrial uses but which went into the
bootleg trade during the fiscal year
SO, 600, ,00c gallons.
Sees $500 100000 Trade.
Gen. Andrews. in charge of prohi-
bitlon enforcement has told this COM
mittee that this alcohol is split four
ways to make whisky for the bootleg
trade" said Mr.. Buckner. Our esti-
mate is that it is diluted three times.
If the whisky so produced is sold for
S. quart. II means they have
gross business of $4,000, ,000, 900 a
year
Mr. Buckner told the committee
that so great was the diversion OF
alcohol from its intended use for in
da ha
is being shipped from the United
States into Canada, where the tax
on alcohol is very high.
The drug stores in New York city,
Mr.. Buckner said. are drawing twice
as much liquor on permits as the
doctors permits could call for, and
this liquor is finding its way into
illicit trade too. he said.
The witness told the committee
that much Of the alcohol which Is
supposed to be denatured at the
plants. goes direct to the bootleggers
without any poison being PUT in II.
Other alcohol that is actually de.
natured, he said, is renatured by
remarkably we'll developed process.
Renaturing Good job
IT'S a good job" he said. referring
to the renaturing of the alcohol.
Representative William S. Ware Of
PENNSYLVANIA, wet" candidate for the
Republican nomination for the Senate
against Senator Pepper and Gov. Pin
chot. will be a witness before the COM
mittee tomorrow or Friday, II was
learned today. George E. Brennan,
candidate for the Democratic non1ina-
ton for Senator in Illinois, is to ap-
pear also.
Mr.. Buckner in his estimate that
so .o00. 900 gallons of alcohol started
on its way to the industries and final-
Iv wound UP in the bootleg trade in
1925 made allowance for an increase
in demand for industrial alcohol at
/ 900 900 gallons a year.
Senator Walsh of Montana wanted
TO know if the industries didn't really
call for a greater increase in the
amount consumed than this hsure.
Here's a very shocking thing.
said Mr.. Buckner in reply. In the
fiscal wear ending June 80, 1924. the
apparent leak to the bootleg trade
was only 40, 100000 gallons. / know
Of no revolution in industry that would
require an increase of 2o,O0O,0oO gal
Ions in year.
Thinks Little Is Seized.
Senator Harreld of Oklahoma asked
II a great deal of this alcohol was
not captured and destroyed.
Mr.. Buckner said he knew OF one
truckload being 50 captured and de-
stroyed.
Cen. Andrews, Mr.. Buckner said.
had tackled the diversion Of alcohol
from industry to the bootleggers. On
September /, 1928. Gen. Andrews sent
to New York John A. Foster. who
had been in the Internal Revenue Bu-
reau service for a quarter OF CEN
tury. Foster brought with him Il
men. These men were stationed in
IA denaturing plants in New York and
Brooklyn. and within SO days mar
velous thing took place. Mr.. Buckner
said The output of these plants de-
creased 300.0 900 gallons a month. or
4 500 900 gallons a year. capable of
making 10.S00.0 .001 gallons OF whisky,
with a potential value Of $216,000, 900.
Overnight this diversion was stop
ped by merely placing q men in
these plants, who merely stood
around and examined books and
made no effort TO interfere in any
way with the business of the con-
Germs" said MIR. Buckner.
Weren't agents stationed there be
fore?" asked Senator Reed OF Mis-
souri,.
Mr. fIckf1cT Sdlu nS tHOuSht
had probably been some agents as
signed to this work; he did not know
how many or how constantly they
were at this work, they had so many
things to do.
Cites Huge Increase.
The distribution of industrial alco-
hol in 1920 was 81 900 900 gallons. MIR.
Buckner said, and in 1925 it had in
creased to SS, 900 900 gallons.
Mr. Buckner early in his testimony
told the committee he had no doubt
that the prohibition law could be en-
forced in my district IL we had the
right kind of machinery"
He described conditions when he
came into office. March 2, 1925. He
spent a month before he actually be.
gan work, he said, making a survey,
particularly of the Federal Building
in New York.
II found many persons were
brought into the building for viola,
tions of Volstead act by the New
York policemen ! found that in
year 50 900 violators had been arrested
by the city police and the Federal
agents.
II found the United states commits
sioner IL the Federal Building oefnre
whom thess violators were taiScr u
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