Evening star., 1934-08-12

ukl1k was LOkiAC0 Ia WIG 4AC&SuEy kIOAAk
picked men of the old alcohol beverage
section of the Department of Justice
and the Bureau Of Industrial Alcohol.
For three months this nucleus has
undergone further wedding, and now
about 500 more men are to be added by
civil service selection, bringing the staff
up to about 1,7o0.
The Coast Guard Is being strength
ened to cope with the rum runners.
And-very important-Federal courts
In the wet States are showing q greater
tendency to convict bootleggers and
give them long sentences, while public
opinion and the legal liquer traffic are
backing the drive. In the wet States
these influences are stiffening the backs
and stimulating the alertness of officials
of State and local governments, which
share the interest of the. Federal Cow
ernment In seeing that none Of the
liquor traffic runs tax free.
Probably the greatest improvements
will result from changes In the methods
of enforcement. One change came with
the container tax, included by Congress
at the suggestion OF Secretary Morgen-
thau. That provides for the familiar
@rid strip" over the top OF each bottle.
The strip can be counterfeited. Of course.
and probably Is being counterfeited to
some extent. but Treasury ofhcials be-
lieve that 1t is affording considerable
protection to the honest retailer.
THE two most important refinements
Of technique In enforcement were
contained in resolutions passed by Con-
gress shortly before it adjourned. One
authorized the Secretary OF the Treas
ury to regulate the traffic in materials
used in the distillation of spirits. The
other authorized him to regulate the
use of bottles for the product. If he
can use these two authorities effectively
Mr. Morgenthau win have a firm grip
on large e-scaie bootlegging.
The new bottle regulations went into
effect August 1. The manufacturer Of
bottles for distilled spirits is licensed and
his sales are now being checked regu-
larry. Into each bottle used by q IL
censed distiller win be blown his name
and the year. No bottle may be used
second time, even by the distiller
whose name Is blown into 1t. These
bottling regulations should make it i'm
measurably more difficult for the boot
logger to peddle his wares to those who
want legal liquor.
Regulation Of the materials used in
distillation win be another important
check. A large percentage OF bootleg
liquor for the city trade is made of
alcohol distilled from dextrose, a
coarse brown sugar made from corn.
Its nearest competitor Is BLACK strap
molasses. The Treasury is quietly pro-
ceeding to regulate the sale of both.
Two other means Of combating the
bootlegger are already at hand. One
is to reduce the domestic taxes on legal
liquor. The other is to reduce the
duty on foreign liquor. At the present
time very little active sentiment for
reducing the domestic taxes on liquor is
discernible- primarily because the Gov
ernment needs the money. There is,
however. a great deal of support for
substantial reduction in the duty ON
imported liquor, in the belief that
cheaper foreign liquor win mean cheaper
and better domestic liquor. Some of the
largest domestic diStillers favor a re-
duction because they need foreign whis-
kies for blending purposes. No one In
Washington would be surprised to see
the $5-a-gallon tax on imported liquors
cut In half within another six months.
JOSEPH H cHoATE, director Of the