Evening star., 1947-08-28

-
Down on Illegal
transportation
Montgomery County officials today
warned of a breakdown" on per-
sons bringing more alcoholic bever-
ages into Maryland than the law al
lows without paying the State tax.
States Attorney Walter w. Daw-
son and Police Chief Charles M. Orm
said such persons will be punished
ito the full extent of the law"
The Maryland situation came to
light yesterday with the conviction
of Silver Spring man on charges of
transporting five fifths of whisky
and three cases of beer into the
State without paying the Maryland
tax. He was given a 5000 fine or
ordered to serve four months in Jail.
A survey today showed that such
arrests are rare in the District and
Virginia where laws allow the i'm
portatlon or transportation of non
locally taxed alcoholic beverages in
quantities up to one gallon.
Difficult to Track Down.
Montgomery County authorities
admitted, however that it would be
difficult to track down anyone who
bought case of whisky in Wash
ington, placed it in his car trunk and
drove into Maryland unless the
purchase was witnessed and police
could then obtain a search warrant.
The Maryland law reads:
ANY resident of this State over
the age of 81 years may bring into
any county or Baltimore city al
cohollc' beverages not exceeding one
quart at a time and not exceeding
two quarts in any calendar month
for the personal use of such per-
sons"
Never Heard of Arrest Here.
Chairman Alan Payne of the Dis
trict Alcoholic Beverage Control
Board said today he never heard of
such an arrest in Washington" as
that of the Silver Spring resident.
IF a person who is moving his
residence to the District wishes to
transport more than a gallon, We
issue special permit to him." Mr..
Payne said This entities him to
bring the whisky into Washington
for his own use-without ques-
ton"
Mr.. Dawson pointed out that the
Maryland law had been on the books
since 1888 and that he has received
reports recently of persons bringing
liquor or beer into Maryland from
the District and failing to pay the
Maryland tax
Il know of many people" he said,
"who buy case of whisky in Wash
ington and who pay the Maryland
tax on it when they get into the
State and I think it is unfair to
them to allow other persons to bring
liquor into Maryland without pay
ing the State tax
Orders Crack Down.
According to Chief Orm, police
have been on the lookout for, the
convicted Silver Spring resident for
several weeks after reports had
lCCCltCo llldU blOuSltU idt &c
quantities of liquor from Washing
ton into Maryland for his own con-
sumption and failed to pay the State
tax
There has been too much of this
going on in recent weeks and I have
ordered members of the force to-
crack down on violators,' Chief Orm
said
Mr.. Dawson and Chief Orm said
the State tax may be paid at any
county liquor dispensary, but they
did not explain what would happen
if resident were picked up between
the time he crossed the District line
into Maryland and the time he
reached the dispensary.
Montgomery officials said the law
was intended to stop the bootleg
ging" of liquor into Maryland for
home consumption. Persons who
pass through the State with out
of-town whisky would not be liable.
Virginia Law Cited.
The Virginia law permits the
transportation of no more than one
gallon of out-of-State alcoholic
beverages. except by liesnsed COM
mercial truckers who ship for dis
tillers and brewers.
Denman T. Rucker, assistant Com
monwealth's attorney for Arlington,
said there had been a few prosecu-
tions of persons found to be trans
porting cases of whisky through
Virginia to other States for the
obvious purpose of bootlegging.
Some persons discovered carrying
a case or two of half-pint bottles,
intended for sale at football games
also have been prosecuted. he said
Mr.. Rucker admitted that per-
son could make frequent, trips into
the State-each time transporting
as much as gallon of whisky-and
remain within the law.
Fairfax County police frequently
arrest persons who purchase liquor
in large quantities in the District
destined for West Virginia and
North Carolina.
The Silver Spring case involved
Kimmon Jones. colored, of the 300
block of Ritchie avenue, who was
released under $500 appeal bond.
SrhooI Board Official