Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-08-12
SOURCES OF BEER
ARE MADE KNOWN
Mrs. WiIIemandt Tells How
"Shot" and "Needled" Prod
uct Gets on Market.
!. Continued From First Page.)

tCOuIu1UGQ rTOIu EuSV EdSc.J
straw men. The system utilized works
out something after this fashion:
The malt Bros" holding a permit
to manufacture cereal beverage, have
been caught cheating and have had
permissive privileges revoked. They
still desire to contine, but under the
law the door TO further permit privi-
leges is shut. Nothing daunted, they
secure three or four citizens, gener-
ally individuals with good regulations,
but keen to place the same for, OF
course, q consideration at disposal OF
the beer shooters. This group assem-
bles, organizes q corporation, creates
a capital stock, promulgates bylaws.
elects officers, purchases the brew
cry" (on paper, of course), secures a
permit and starts working, with the
diScredited permitteeS directing opera
lions behind the scenes.
A series of hearings held in Philadel-
phia in an attempt to eliminate these
organizations disclosed the fact that
officers Of "reorganized" breweries knew
nothing about the beer business, had
no financial means with which to buy
q brewery, knew nothing concerning
distributors of the cereal beverage they
were supposed to manufacture, did
strictly cash business, made no de-
liveries and, though manufacturing for
an apathetic cereal beverage market,
were able to keep going, with all
finances apparently soundl
Near Beers Distance.
One beer racketeer calmly advised
the assistant administrator in philadel-
phia that he was the fastest beer
shooter in the State of Pennsylvania
| hal 1,n fhA ~ G.
traitor, would leave town with his forces
for about an hour he would shoot
enough beer to hold them for a month.
This same modern brewer also deliv-
cred himself of the statement that he
would shoot beer any time that he
could get away with it." The modus
operandi in Pennsylvania is as follows:
The regular beer is manufactured
and the brewery sends out its spot
ters." or spies, who determine the To-
cation of Government officers. If the
4 coast is clear, the regular beer IS quick
ly "shot" out of what are termed
drops" the latter being garages or
other convenient hiding places located
about the community.
/ During the past year, prohibition en-
forcement officers In Philadelphia un-
earthed a syndicate which had for its
purpose, the supplying information con-
corning activities OF Government officers
| to breweries. This organization was
found to have corrupted some seven or
eight members of the prohibition organ
| ization. 1t had three offices, one in a
city adjacent to Philadelphia operated
ostensibly as q radio shop, the two
| others upstate. Former discredited
agents. employed by this establishment,
were stationed outside of the entrance
to the prohibition headquarters. It was
l bat Iyrfry 70 oh Iva al VNHnhtHftinf1
| agents as they reported in the morning.
This information would be relayed to
the city adjacent to Philadelphia and
thence upstate, where 1t would, OF
course, be used to advantage.
Brewers Who Tried to Be Good.
Another method breweries have util-
| lied, in other sections, to defeat the law
was the supplying to near-beer estab-
| one-half of one per cent limitations,
but accompanied by secret supplies of
alcohol, which was needed" or shot"
into the glasses Of near beer as served.
These difficulties would have been
reduced had the Government dealt in
diligently, fairly and in far-sighted
manner with established breweries when
large investments in plant and equip
ment and during the first two or three
years of prohibition most of them made
an honest effort to deal squarely with
the Government, converting plants to
other uses, building up demand for
near beer and disposing Of the excess
alcohol taken from the beer in a legal
manner. Had the Government adopted
a forYard-looking policy and protected
the established brewerieS from fy-by-
night competition fostered by politicians,
there would have been less leaks from
the breweries Instead, however, Of re-
stricting brewing permits as far as pos
sible to old line dependable concerns,
prohibition executives have too often
construed the law by making any person
with a nice clean face and no guns
sticking out of his pockets eligible to
enjoy such privileges after, of course,
making application in due form and, |
most Important Of all, bringing along |
with the application an endorsement |
Of a Congressman. alderman or some |
other politician. Many of these new |
companies had little invested In the en- |
terprise, knew little or nothing about |
the brewery business and were unreli-
able in every way. The sole object, Of |
course, was to keep about three Jumps |
ahead of the law and. while cutting in
- 80 kIaA al @kAHa 1Al