The Ypsilanti daily press. (Ypsilanti, Mich.) 1928-1962, 1943-04-09
Observations
Liquor Supply
For Washington
is Threatened
BY Charles p. Stewart

The great city OF Washington,
ID. C., is afflicted by new kind
OF bootlegger.
The old-fsshioned variety. back
in prohibition days were regarded
by bibulous folk in the capital ~
public benefactors while dry regu-
lstions prevailed, because they
relieved the drought.
This time Nsshingtonions are
fearful OF being completely dried
mp, not by the law but, paradoXic-
ally. by the bootlesgers.
Nominally the town is pretty
wet That is so far as concerns
legal restrictions, you can get
whatever drinks you want and as
many OF them as you can hold,
up 10 FIVE gallons. Above that
limit a booze dispenser cannot
sell 10 lone customer. at single
sitting without taking out
wholesalers license.
However. single patron sell
dom consumes above FIVE gallons
OF anything very ardent al Just
one session. Il lakes quite par
~ TO hit that limit. and party
or say, a dozen. is entitled. collec-
lively. Y times five gallons
Nashington's supply OF intoKi-
esnts consequently is quite sde-
Quste for its own inhabitants and
a reasonable number Of visitors
in the city. They could have as
much as is good for them and
more too. II il were not for the
alcoholic demands Of other parts
of the country
The nation is more or less pref
~ well irrigated today but, in
many areas, not nearly az liberal
ly so as the capital
For instance, in the immediate
neigh borhood OF Washington are
the states OF Virginia. Maryland,
New Jersey and Pennsylvania
none OF them bone dry but darn
ed sight more skinny than the
District of Columbia, with their
drink allowances per person.
Well, when 2 saloon man in one
OF these semi-sTiS communities
learns. as he does very speedily.
that he could multiply his profits
considerably If he could serve all
his patrons provided he had more
stun 10 serve them. naturally he
racks his brain figuring on where
10 get it..
lie cannot do it by ordering
from his Wholesaler, because- his
local authorities. keeping a close
check upon his reports. would
soon discover that he was violat-
ing the statute applicable TO his
geography and penalize him Sc
verely. What he has to have is
bootlesged supply from some
source or other.
And he can get It with no trou-
BILE whatever by employing a stan
sufficient TO comply with the five
gallon rule or dealing with a
wholesaler, and stocking his bar
from establishments regularly in
business in Washington.
Authorities in most localities
where "rationing' prevails try to
prevent bottled goods from being
sneaked into their respective
jourisdictions in this fashion. but
it obviously is done at great
rate.
That that is the case is amply
a ttested TO by the fact that the
Districts ostensible liquor con
per capita far surpasses
that OF any other area in the
United States
Westinghouse may drink
more than the citi1enry OF any
other burg in the country. but
surely not enough so to account
for their formidable lead over all
other communities OF similar pro-
portions Clearly the imbibing
is not done by any meltsns eX-
cmsiyely by the District folk,
congressman included
But what inks the bibulous coz
tingent is this:
DbhoANN pA9 ~ - ~ hFhNN ihdl
II threatens 10 pinch local buyers.
The local chaps, ought Of course,
10 have loaded up in anticipation
OF the present situation. They
should have foreseen il, but it
hit them too suddenly.
The upshot is that something
like a liquor famine threatens.
Prices have been hiked already.
The Districts liquor is in de-
mand from as far as Canada.
Csnada's provinces are like our
states. Some OF them are wetter
than others. The wet folk in
the dry provinces do not like TO
divide up with the vets in the
wet ones. That makes the dry
provincial vets look for relief in
our direction. Our vets do not
show much inclination for that