Evening star., 1938-03-27
Liquor Abuses Seen Creating
Increase in Dry Sentiment
Federal Officials Warn Industry Against Too Many
Claims and Obnoxious Practices Causing
Resentment by Public

Alexander, the genial, 6-foot World War
veteran, who left his New England bank
ing business two years ago at the request
of President Roosevelt to come to WASH
ington to supervise the liquor industry for
Uncle SAM
Ever since he was made administrator,
he has gone around the country, drumming
into the heads of State and local officials,
distillers and brewers, winners, distributors
and package dealers the hard, concise fact
that the liquor business is like no other
business in the world; that it can be in
vested with dignity and that it must be if
it wants to escape the kiss of death from
lax regulation and practices which offend.
Warns Against Claims.
Capt. Alexander has warned the distillers
to stop claiming that their product is
healthful or that it aids digestion. or that
If you drink certain type of whisky you
will have clear head next day. He has
warned them to stay away from radio ad-
vertising, from false statements and from
advertisements containing women and
children.
Not long ago he told brewers meeting
that beer is not Coca-Cola" and that
while beer may be the least intoxicating of
all alcoholic beverages, they never would
be able to get the citizens of any community
to look upon beer tavern or taproom in
the same light as the soda fountain or cor
ner drug store. He has stressed the fair
trade practices of the Federal regulations
and insisted that they be obeyed.
Particularly has Capt. Alexander en-
phasized the danger of blatant advertising
Neon lights are very attractive. no
doubt" he said in announcing new cam
paign against outside signs. They
brighten up your place and draw trade to
it, but they also draw attention to your
business in way that stirs up opposition
to it; these are offensive to large number
of people ''' No retailer should spell out
his own doom in 30-foot electric signs.
War on Local Abuses.
Indications are now that-the people are
pretty we'll satisfied, but they are insisting
that local abuses be eliminated" Capt.
Alexander explained. People in most
communities would be satisfied if retail
outlets were operated in strict accordance
with the law, under ethical practices. They
have right to expect it. Those who do
not walk hand in hand with the law will
wake up some day and find that their privi-
leges are taken away from them"
Capt Alexander, furthermore, has no
hot 4 pf tho En1lnr
industry goes to smash, the rest of it can
be salvaged. The interests of the whisky
people, the wine people and the brewers
are all tied up together, and whatever one
does to bring discredit upon himself also
will reflect upon the entire alcoholic bev-
erage industry, he believes.
Some people have told Capt Alexander
that the Federal Government should police
the retail sale of liquor, but he does not
agree with them. Have they, he asks,
completely forgotten the tragedy Of the
eighteenth amendment" No. he says,
that couldn't be done, not if Uncle Sam
used the Army, the Navy and the Marine
Corps, and the States would rebel against
such an invasion of their rights.
hShS SV-OPcidtaOHs
The answer lies, Capt. Alexander indi-
Gates, in full and complete cooperation be-
tween the Federal Government and the
States; in uniform State regulations; in
strict adherence to the law by the entire
industry; in public cooperation, and,
finally, in everlasting vigilance on the part
Of the industry to make certain that not
e&4y = %oG1 ,1,t,i iol, A..x
reproach upon it.
Meanwhile, Capt. Alexander will carry
on his policing, coupled with friendly CO.
operation, banging heads when he must,
but following in the main a preventive and
educational program. The scene of young
girls and women drinking at bars, which
to Capt. Alexander is "abhorrent to the
moral sense of the public" carries great
danger, and he says: Il fear if it is not
corrected, will be visited with a terrible
punishment.
Public confidence in the industry is
also broken by price wars and by ex-
cessive prices demanded for the product.
The people know that distilleries have
been turning out 100000 gallons a
luOIllll dHu IIldG IllC pupuC ID OIlly COU.
suming 100000 gallons of that total,
although since last November l only re-
placements have been manufactured" Some
have pointed to the excessive number Of
retail stores and their cost as the reason
for prices which Capt Alexander says are
"out Of proportion to the cost Of manu-
facture and distribution"
ITO save the industry from q severe
blow" Capt. Alexander goes on, Il con-
fidently look to some system to be evolved
which will reduce the number of retail out
lets and thereby cut down the price Of
liquor"
He sums up with this warning:
"Distillers, rectifiers, brewers, winners
and wholesalers, as well as retail stores, are
all in the same boat, sailing the same
stormy sea, and you will all 60 down If the
boat founders A wise policy would be for
the industry to police itself so rigidly as to
weed out all these offensive practices and
thus make it unnecessary to strengthen
Federal and State control"
(Copyright, 1888, BY the North krnssiAAn
NeWspApe9 A0tonoo. 1no1