The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1935-11-16
VANNUYS VOWS
HE'LL DEMAND
LIQUOR PROBE
Calls Legal Terror Reign
InexcusabIe; Pledges
Action at Capital.
RY ARCH STEINEL


BY ARCH STEINEL
Branding a legal reign of ter
ror" and the holding of alleged
kangaroo courts" by Federal liquor
collectors as "inexcusable," Sena-
tor Frederick VanNuys today said
that upon his return to Washington,
D. c., he would press for an investi-
cation.
Told by The Indianapolis Times
that E. G. Yellowley, Chicago, dis
trict supervisor of collectors, had
said the violations we're technical
and that his men would continue
their activity as long as the laws
were in the Federal statutes, the
Indiana Senator said:
We'll see about that when we
get back to Washington"
Off to Capital Sunday
He leaves Sunday for the capital
Senator VanNuys said he would
visit officials of the alcohol en-
forcen,ent division and protest the
alleged "high-handed" methods Of
enforcement.
Meanwhile local Federal officials
and Mr.. Yellowley sought confer
ence with man purported to have
visited the officials of the Indian
apolis Retail Druggists Association
and told them he had drag" with
the government and could do some
good" for druggists involved with
the Federal government in technical
violations.
Criticising activities of the collec-
tors in Indianapolis and the state,
Senator Van Mugs said: You put
a badge Oil some fellows and you
ruin them. A little authority seems
to go to their head.
"Should Get Bootleggers"
"It seems" he continued, that in
stead of aggravating the business
men of the state that the collectors
should go after the wholesale boot
leggers.
The actions of the collectors as
related in the letter sent by drug
gists, restaurant men, grocers and
hotel men to Mr.. Yellowley reeks of
lack of efficiency" he charged.
He said he had received a COM
plant from Fort Wayne cafes that
the collectors were noisy and dis
turbed patrons in restaurants.
Senator VanNuys related how
druggists with tonics on their
shelves, that had been there since
prohibition, were fined for failure
to observe the internal revenue act.
Sees No Excuse
There's no excuse for that" he
added, especially when some of
those druggists were compelled to
wait for business to be rung up on
the cash register before they could
pay fines ranging up to $35."
In a joint letter yesterday the
Indiana State Restaurant Associa-
tion,a Indianapolis Retail Druggist
Association, Hotel Mems Associa-
ton and indianapolis Meat Dealers
and Grocers the organizations COM
plained to Senator VanNuys, SEN
ator Sherman Minton, United
States District Attorney Val Nolan
and state excise officers against the
alleged terror reign"
Mr.. Nolan said: I'm not in
formed of the facts of the matter
but in entering into consideration of
the facts, have as much contempt
for government shoppers as for any
other kind of snooper"
"Proposer" Is Hunted
Probe of Federal officials shifted
to a desire to confer with man
who was said to have visited Albert
c. Fritz, 4101 E. Michigan-st, drug
gist association secretary, with pro-
posals to aid the druggists when
ever they had trouble with revenue
collectors.
Mr.. Fritz said the man came to
his drug store and introduced him
self and said: I've got quite a
drag with Federal officials. I may
be able to do you some good with
the boys"
II told him." Mr.. Fritz said, that
the druggists association was not
interested"
Mr.. Fritz said he had talked to
Mr.. Yellowley today by long dis
lance phone and related his CONVEX
sation with the man and that he
gave the Chicago district supervisor
the name the man gave him.
Yellowley's Stand Firm
During our conversation Mr..
Yellowley told me that his COL
lectors would continue to press tech
nical violations of the internal reve-
nue. acts as long as the laws were
on the books" Mr.. Fritz said.
He declared that his organization
approved the letter sent by all or
CARNATIONS to Senators VanNuys
and Minton protesting the kan
CARGO courts" and terror reign" of
collectors.