Evening star., 1934-04-26

been treated cOurteously," the docu-
ment avered. "Onlcials Of the F. A.
c. A. are inaccessible, telephone calls
are disregarded, written communica-
tions are either ignored or answers
thereto are delayed unduly. Members
Of Congress have been denied the
right to petition the chairman di-
rector Of the F. A. c. A. to register
complaints.
This protest is made with no de-
sire to impugn the motives or sin
certify Of anyone connected with the
F. A. G. A. We disagree with its
policies, not with personalities. The
system must be charged"
Under the r. A. G.. A. and the
liquor codes, the President was told,
the Federal Government Is in the
liquor business almost as much as
before" contrary to the Democratics
platform relegating control back to
the States.
The liquor industry Is "well on its
way" toward recovery, 1t was asserted,
with probably 100000 persons di-
rectly or indirectly employed, and Is
no longer an interim" business, but a
pei 11ldIlcllL lllQuSLTy, euClLleQ 10 Der.
manent State control.
In allocating quotas of Scotch
whisky, 1t was stated, the F. A. c. A.
gave decided preference to the
brands of the British whisky trust,
called the Distillers' Corporation,
Ltd.-described as "a far cry from
President Roosevelt's address concern
ing the encouragement of monopo-
lies" Many importers, through "over-
sight or inability of the F. A. C. A to
cope with the tremendous amount of
work placed upon It," have been de-
prived Of quotas to which they were
entitled and protests have been of no
avail.
Find Regulations Foolish.
"The F. A. c. A. has been guilty
of setting up foolish, piddling and an
noying regulations, due to the fact,
very likely, that some of the members
of the F. A. C. A. have no knowledge
OF the business" the petitioners con-
tinued. In their misguided enthusi.
asm they have foisted upon the in
dustry regulations that have no rela-
tioE to the needs and exigencies gov
erning the trade"
In support Of this charge the petit
ton cites a "trifling regulation"
against importers selling brandy or
wine to mince meat manufacturers,
a foolish" rule that f1fths of a GAL
Ion Of liquor must be labeled exactly
twenty-five thirty-seconds of a quart,
discriminatory regulation against
bottling of whisky by any one other
than a distiller and regulation re-
quiring States to obtain import per-
mits from the Federal Government.
These rigid regulations" it was
declared, give aid and comfort to
the bootlegger, who can easily avoid
the regulations due to inability and
failure Of enforcement, whereas the
legitimate trader must live up to
them.
Lack of Power Cited.
"The F. A. c. A. cannot enforce
its regulations. 1t has no power. 1t
has not even an investigational force.
I'VE thought we had destroyed the
rum rows along our seacoast 1t is
noted that rum row lives again. st.
Michelieu has again become a haven
or rum runners and smugglers. 1t Is
reported that huge supplies of liquor
destined for United States bootleggers
are warehoused there. Smuggling,
particularly as a result Of rigid quota
regulations, has increased tremend-
ously. Only due to vehement pro-
tests were quotas for the third period
lifted. They served no good purpose.
They encouraged smuggling
This protest and criticism is made
in the hope that beneficial changes
will result. Either the F. A. C. A
must be abolished, or it must be re-
organized. 1t must, in any event, be
responsive TO the reasonable requests
Of members of Congress, and instruc-
tions must be given that members of
Congress be treated with uniform
courtesy and prompt attention.
Furthermore, the F. A. C. A. must
recede from its position Of q super
governmental agency. It must do
away with the system Of permits. 1t
shall not say who may or may not
go into the liquor business. That is
a matter for the States. Codes must
be changed to give back to the trade
the right to govern ITSELF"