TRUCE WITH BOOTLEGGERS

Taranaki Daily News, 18 December 1933, Page 5

TRUCE WITH BOOTLEGGERS

UNITED STATES PROPOSAL

LEGAL LIQUOR SHORTAGE

OFFER TO BUY SUGGESTED

“CASH AND NO QUESTIONS”

By Telegraph—Press Assn.—Copyright. Rec. 7 pan. Washington, Dec. 16. Liquor control officials are considering a novel plan to eliminate the shortage of legal stocks. A truce of a few days would be declared during which illegal holdings could be offered for sale to legitimate dealers, the terms being “cash and no questions asked." The Government would test the liquor and collect the dollar and ten cents gallonage tax. After the truce revenue officers would be relentless in searching out and prosecuting those still violating the law.

It is estimated there is as much as fifty million gallons illegally held. The problem of keeping it off the market is considered almost impossible unless some sort of compromise is effected. Approval of the plan ,by the President is contingent on public approval of such an evasion of the law by the Government itself. The control administration announced yesterday that the temporary quota for French wines had been increased substantially following the French Government’s decision to give reciprocal tariff action on United States apples and pears. The original four-month quota figure given France was 784,000 gallons, mostly wine and the balance brandy. Democratic members of. the Ways and Means Committee are described as strongly inclined toward inserting in the proposed Act provision to give the President broad powers to enter bilateral trade agreements with liquor exporting countries, but barring such agrements with nations delinquent in war debt payments.