A ROARING TRADE

Press, Volume LVII, Issue 17123, 19 April 1921, Page 10

A ROARING TRADE

"THE FAR-FLUNG BOTTLE LINE." AMERICAN LIQUOR TBAPPTC. Someone has described the boundary between Canada and the United States as "The far-flung bottle line" (says the Canadian correspondent of tho London "Times"). Although Windsor has achieved an international reputation as the headquarters of "boot-leggerß" and "rum-runners," at various places along the St. Lawrence river there are bands of whisky-smugglers, and along the boundary between Quebec and Vermont the runners do a great and profitable business. But Windsor has preeminence in the extent of the traffic, the ingenuity and audacity of the illicit traders,, and tho huge profits they have realised. No more favourable situation for such a traffic,could be conceived. What is called "the border" extends a distance of 40 miles from Stony Point to Amhertsburg, along the Detroit river, Lake St. Clair, and the St. Clair river. For much of the distance there are flats covered with reeds, and a maze of channels, lagoons, and small islands on which are the huts of fishermen. The river is only 800 yards wide, which, as has been said, is merely '"a buzz and a leap" for a launch which goes 50 or 60 miles an hour, as do some of the boats engaged in the traffic. Along many miles.of the water extend Detroit and its thickly-populated suburbs of Grosse Point, River Rouge, Wyandotte, and Ecorse. Many of the houses are built out over the water on piles, with boathouses underneath. It is estimated that in Detroit and its suburbs there are over a million people. Farther south is Toledo, as thirsty as the communities along the bordor, while in .all these American centres there is a large foreign population. On the Canadian side is tho city of Windsor, with the towns of Walkerville, Ford, Sandwich, Ojibway, and Tecumseh, with a total population of over 50,000. all under separate municipal government, each jealous of its authority, and each with its force of police. Behind is a country district of which license officials at Windsor declare 90 .per cent, of the population are engaged in boot-legging." Public Mind Demoralised.

The conflict of authority and the attitude of the people have -made any effective enforcement of the law > a sheer impossibility. As one official said; "The public mind is' demoralised. The people have no respect for the present liquor law, nor would they have for any other liquor law. lhey seem to think that 'boot-legging' is a patriotic duty. They say it brings m American money, and they emphasise the war debt and the depreciation or the Canadian dollar as an excuse or justification of their operations.' lhe ferries crossing the river are usedi by the petty smugglers, who wear bottles next to the skin, or under the skirts, or, for those who have motors, with a-secret chamber under the windshield or a double bottom. One American official who has devised a wonderful screwdriver said: 1 find that even the screw-heads of tho false bottoms are painted » lac f; Hundreds of American can. wobb rhe river night after night. Where do all the American cars goP' has become a parody of. the song "I- know where the flies go in the winter time. Many of those cars when returning are'stopped by the officials and tho occupants forced to stand on the dock while tho search for liquor is prosecuted. In a summer cottage not long aeo an officer discovered mne barrels of beer, all tapped and the pumps ready. ~ . ,-, In a stretch of seven miles along the Sandwich road there are eight roadhouses. The signs read': Fish ana chicken dinners, frogs' legs, raeals ab all tours of the day and uight. All those places receive the vigilant . attention, of the police. Along the river are frame cottages, which rent tor 750 dollars (£187) for two months m the summer. '. Many of tho residents or these cottages have fast launches, wthich are used for more than pleasure riding on the river. The •'rum-run-ners" and "boot-leggers" have telephone svstems and storing posts and a force of spies and agents far better organised, as the license inspectors admit, than the, provincial and municipal police. Ecorse is the most notorious distributing centre of,all the suburbs of Detroit. The launches, under cover of night, ply. tihrouga the Rouge and Ecorse marshes. lhe backyards of the houses arc on She river, and many a hutnblo dwelling is a smuggler's depot. Many of the runners wear rubber boots. Silently the launches slide" into their berths, and silently their cargoes disappear.

Huge Pzo&ts. In a roadhouse one said casually to ,an old darkey, "You seem to have nothing exciting around here." The darkey chuckled. "Better stick round,' he said; "things don't, begin till 12. Between 12 and 6 is the time." Another man questioned said: 'They have just loaded an'automobile across'the street. But I ain't telling anything. No, sir. You might have your house burnt down." A woman living in a shack has a fast launch, and at her credit in one of the banks 135,000 dollars (£33,750), every dollar of which represents the profits of 'Turn-running. ,; A two-masted, sharp-prowcd schooner entered Ecorse Bay in broad daylight and safely unloaded 15 cases of gin and whisky. It is estimated that on this single transaction tho smuggler had a profit of 1000 dollars (£250). For Canadian whisky he would pay perhaps 30 dollars (£7 10s) a case; for Scotch, 45 dollars (£ll ss); and for gin 36 dollars (£9). He would get for the first lot 85 dollars (£2l' &.) a case; for the second, 110 dollars (£27 10s); and for the third, 100 dollars (£25). Tho profits of the traffic have been so tremendous that all risks are taken, and hundreds of persons defy law and decency in order to get the high rewards of a disreputable business. As serious is the fact that great amounts can be spent in bribing officials and securing protection for tho runners. Thero is no doubt that some of the public officers were singularly inactive in tho pursuit and prosecution of offenders; In cases, there has been reason to suspect active collusion.