Evening star., 1929-06-09
COAST GUARD WINS
ROM-RUNNER WAR
Back on Peace-Time Basis,
Fast Boats Watching
:: Long Island Shores.
Special Dispatch to The Star.

Special Dispatch to The Star.
- PATCHOGUE, Long Island. June g.
The Coast Guard is back on a peace
10 years war between the dry navy and
the rum runners along the south shore
of Long Island having ended with a
complete victory for the enforcement
feet. A few fast Government boats are
employed on the north shore for
nopping-up work, but for the first time
since 1919 the Coast Guard is employed
on the south side exclusively-or nearly
so-in the work of assisting navigation.
The south short, which. for several
years, was the greatest source of liquor
in the country, is now suffering such
q depression that recently eastbound
liquor trucks have passed through
Patchogue. This means that, instead
OF receiving millions of gallons of
whisky and other liquors from abroad,
Eastern Long Island now has to OBJ
tain its liquor from New York City.
Blame Hi-Jackers for Change.
. While the credit for the victory goes
In part to the increased efficiency of
the Coast Guard. the Long Islanders
who have been thrown out of employ
nent blame their plight mainly on the
ferocious industry of the hi-jackers and
increasing eXtortion by local and Fed
eral men, together with the develop
ment of distilling in this country. Home
other grains mixed with "mapleine"
and other fiavorings. have been supplied
in such quantities that imported liquor,
with the vast overhead due to Coast
Guard activities, hi-jacking and off,
cial extortions, could no longer hold
Its own.
The populations Of some Of the towns
which became smuggling centers have
fallen away to some extent because of
this new development. Fishermen. who
made $50 to 5000 a day during the
flush times in Great South Bay, Jones
Inlet and Fire Island Inlet, have either
gone back to fishing or left the region.
Grand pianos and costly furniture,
which were moved into fishermen's
shacks in the big rum-running days,
are selling at bargain rates.
Many Stills in Operation.
On the other hand, houses are being
repainted and other signs of prosperity
put forward in many places in the in
terror, where the hardware and plumb
ing shops are filled with tanks, watts,
elbow-joint drips and other apparatus
which can be used for only one pur-
pose. One still recently seized at Farm
ingdale had a capacity Of $50 gallons
a day. There is a big traffic in Scotch,
Bourbon and rye favoring compounds.
The liquor that came in ships was un-
loaded in great cargoes, which had to
be rushed to New York by truck in order
to avoid seizure on the spot where 1t
was landed 1t was liable to be hi
lacked at every. cross-road, while any
man with a metal shield or star was
likely to exact toll at any point along
the route. The homemade alcohol, how
ever is not handled by motor trucks, but
is transferred In smaller cars, so that
the new traffic is regarded less hopefully
by hi-jackers and officials. AS far as
Long Island is concerned, the home
made alcohol is not turned out IN
hundredth part the quantity that flowed
from the ships in the big days. The
low price of potatoes had caused vide
spread experimenting in the manufac-
ture of potato whisky, which Is the fa-
vorite beverage of few Polish farmers.
and some of it is sent to New York to
be treated with extracts and condiments
before being sold along the water front
and in low-grade speakeasies.
Ducks as Camouhage.
Before rum-runnirg ceased along the
south shore, the transporters bad
adopted the device of covering the cases
of liquors with crates of live Long
Island ducklings. This camoufage was
very effective for a time. because few
people like to handle crates of Long
Island ducklings. Hi-jackers and others
interested would throw up their hands
in disgust when they saw the top lay
ers of squawking young fowls. Boot
leggers would not only transport Long
Island ducklings free, but would pay for
the privilege. This was eventually dis
covered, however, and the pendulum
swung to the other extreme, any vehicle
that contained duck being immediate
" suspected by local authorities and
crossroads pirates. Conditions became
such that legitimate farmer, carrying
oucklings to market, would be held up
time and time again for examination.
The debacle to the rum-running in
oustry finally lifted this burden from
the Long Island duckling industry
. None of the homemade alcohol is being
carried with this kind Of camouflage.