Evening star., 1933-11-30
HELD
| LIQUOR CODE TEST
Speakeasy Declared to Have
Been Given Plenty of
Encouragement.
BY DAVID LAWRENCE.

The true test Of whether the code just
signed by President Roosevelt for the
liquor industry is going to be effective
is whether or not it drives the boot
logger and the speakeaSy out OF
business.
AS drawn, the Federal code, uninten-
tionally of course, gives the bootlegger
plenty of leeway and announcement.
In the first place, the code requires
was an excellent provision SO far as
unfortunate fact is there will not be
enough bottles available for the
legitimate industry for several months
because the capacity Of large bottling
plants now in operation or likely to be
in the next six months is far below the
expected demand. This means that
the bootlegger and smugglers, who have
no worries about labels or brands, can
keep on supplying their trade while the
legitimate industry is forced to wait
for bottling plants to catch up.
Amendment to Be Sought.
Amendment of the code is going to
be. sought so as TO permit distillers to
ship in bulk to distributors, who would.
of course, pay the taxes and aftix the
stamps just the same, but who would
be able 10 get their bottling done in
small plants here and use second hand
bottles This would give the bootlegger
real competition
Next, the Government has failed as
yet to lift the import restrictions, which
means the bootlegger will continue his
smuggling of liquor, for 1t Is known the
supply of properly aged whisky on hand
in domestic warehouses is far below the
anticipated demand Will the bootleg
ger get this business? Or will American
firms. some of which have contracted
for foreign supply. but cannot as yet
get it into the United States? 1t Is
believed the embargo will be lifted as
soon as an importers code has been
signed. This is matter of few days,
as the code has been drafted and Will
be ready soon. The question, however,
is whether the control OF imports Is
going to be based on the theory Of those
who sponsored the eighteenth amend
ment and Federal prohibition or on the
philosophy of temperance, which brought
about repeal.
If it is assumed that liquor shall
be permitted to enter the United states
only in such quantities as, coterle
of Government officials may decide,
then the restrictions on imports are
likely to continue very strict. AS yet
the idea does not seem to have perco-
lated here that the only way to. orlVe
out the bootleggers and speakeasy Is
by competition. Anything which re-
stricts the legitimate industrys dlstrl-
button and does not at the same time
restrain the illicit trade gives the lat
ter. who are we'll entrenched anyhow,
a considerable advantage.
Enforcement Believed Inadequate.
Enforcement machinery is hopelessly
inadequate. Prohibition appropriations
have been reduced and are about to
be cut still further by the Budget Bu-
reau The Department OF Justice
didn't do very we'll under the Voisteao
act in running down bootleggers anu
s,nugglers. How can it be imagined
that with the repeal Of the Volsteadi
law and the virtual disintegration OF
the prohibition enforcement units the
bootlegger is going to have very much
to worry about? :,
The trouble with the new code Is
that it presumes the existence OF only
one indust1y-the legitimate group OF
distillers, who all along have intended