Rules & Regulations

Prohibition did not end drinking and Repeal (see above) will not end Prohibition. As the adding machines clicked up the historic state votes last week. President Roosevelt called his advisers together, not only to formulate a liquor tax program for Congress but to swing the weight of his office into place behind two segments of the Prohibition wall which he wished to see left standing. He was determined that the saloon should not return, and ready to use an NRA liquor code if necessary to prevent it. He was anxious to turn U. S. drinkers from hard liquor to wine & beer, and ready to use taxes to do it.

He ordered his experts to draw up a schedule of taxes low enough so that legitimate liquor merchants could drive bootleggers out of business, taxes that would also yield as fat Federal revenue as possible to replace the gasoline, dividends, capital stock and excess profits taxes which Repeal automatically terminates. In order to have enough liquor available Dec. 5 so that a deficiency of supply shall not keep down tax collections he ordered that U. S. distillers should be allowed to race ahead with production, that the absolute ban on medicinal liquor imports should be removed.

The President's eye was cocked last week toward his home State, whose Liquor Board published a list of rules & regulations to govern New York's drinking until the New York Legislature meets next January to pass permanent laws. Some two dozen other states were formulating their own codes or had already done so, but the White House was known to be hoping that New York's regulations would serve as a model for others.

Policeman Mulrooney's "model" code: Bars. Wine and hard liquor may be served only at tables in restaurants. Since last April, beer has been served at bars in restaurants (reason: so that poor men need not tip waiters) and still may be. But if acustomer wants another kind of drink he must sit down. He does not have to order food, but the restaurant, hotel or club has to satisfy the liquor board that its primary business is not selling drinks.

Doors. No restaurant (and also no liquor store) is allowed to have swinging doors, screens, booths or opaque windows. All drinking and liquor buying must be in full public view.

Hours. No one may buy a drink before 8 a. m. (2 p. m. on Sundays, 6p.m. on election days) or after 3 a. m. No one may buy bottled liquor in a store on Sundays or before 9 a. m. or after 8 p. m. on week days (Saturdays 10 p. m.).

Bottles. At stores and restaurants no liquor may be carried in any container except sealed bottles of not more than one quart capacity. No kegs, demijohns, magnums or gallons will be available. Every bottle must be labeled with date of manufacture, alcoholic content and whether the contents are straight, blended or imitation.

Quantities. No purchaser may buy from a retail store at one time more than three quarts of liquor or more than three gallons of wine, but he may buy in case lots for home use from wholesalers.

Retail Stores must be on the street level, on a main thoroughfare in a business centre, not less than 700 ft. apart (1.500 ft. apart in cities over 1,000,000 pop.) and not less than 200 ft. from any church or school. Nothing but liquor may be sold in the space set aside for that purpose. No one dealer or company may have more than one retail licence (thus ruling out chain stores). No one otherwise interested in the liquor business may have a retail licence and no signs may be displayed in the store advertising any brand of liquor. Four price lists must be displayed.

Wholesalers likewise may not deal in other goods in that part of their premises which is licenced, may display no signs advertising brands of liquor, may not be tied up to other liquor interests, may sell in no containers larger than quart bottles, may sell only to licenced retailers or in case lots to householders.

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