BOOTLEG WAR REOPENED

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume LII, Issue 17155, 4 October 1926, Page 2

BOOTLEG WAR REOPENED

RUM SMUGGLERS RETURN. ST.ALBANS, Vermont, August.3l A.new phase of the government's Avar against the rum-runners, has opened on the Vermont-New Hampshire-Canadian border. Admitting that liquor smuggling has shown a great increase, and predicting that seizures will increase 15 per cent, over last year, Harry C. Whitehall, collector of customs,- to-day announced an aggressive campaign against a steadily growing army of runners believed ' to have been driven off 1 the ocean by increase*! coastguard activity. The newest bootleg war will be fought out on fifty-eight highways along a 140 mile front 'by thirty-nine border patrolmen augmented by 100 customs men and a fleet of four patrol boats on Lake Champlain. The patrol, now operating twenty-six automobiles, all seized from rum-runners, is more than self-supporting from the number of car confiscated and fines collected. Rhode Island and Massachusetts have contributed most heavily. Increased customs activity has bad a response from the rum forces, and to-day practically every possible means js resorted to by the; runners to Bring in their loads. Smoke screens have made their appearance on highways, and conveyances range from horses to airplanes. Most of the smugglers operate on sound business principles from 'bases in Canada, where their machines are thoroughtly overhauled before each dash across the border. One runner told the border patrol, after his capture, that he never crossed the line on the same set of tires. The average rum car is fitted with false bottoms, sides and pannels, and recently the practice of carrying liquor "in spare tires 'was uncovered. Automobile liquor trains run in groups of two or more cars. The train runs a pilot car 200 yards ahead. If the leader is stopped' the other turns and escapes. Many trains also -have a rear guard car that is to ■be swung across" the* road and abandoned !should an attack develop from that quarter. The average rum-runner smuggles silk and tobacco on his return trip to Canada, it has been discovered, and this has h>d to closer cooperation between the Canadian and United States customs forces. Beer and ale have given way to hard liquors on most loads. Collector Whitehall said, due mainly to the handy location of the Quebec Liquor Commission stores near the border. The Quebec law stipulates one bottle' a day to one person. i