Atlanta Georgian. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1912-1939, 1912-06-13
DRUG MEN FIGHT
NEAR-BEER BILL
Declare Alcohol Clause of Tip
pins Measure Means Ruin to
Trade in Georgia.

Unless amended to meet the require
ments of the drug trade of the state
the famous Tippins bin the first bill on
the house calendar for considera ton by
the Georgia legislature a it's forthcom-
ing summer session, will be bitterly
fought by the druggists
The Tippins bill is primarily aimed
at the near-beer dealers and manufac-
turers of Georgia. Under its provisions
no beer or liquid compound manufac-
tured for sale as an Imitation" beer
could he sold in any event, and no
compound whatsoever containing more
than one per cent of alcohol could be
marketed, either in wholesale or retail
quantities.
The passage Of this bill. with the
governors signature attached, .inevita-
bly, would close every near beer bar in
Georgia. 1t would also absolutely stop
the manufacture OF beer or any imita-
ton thereof.
Druggists Ready For Fight.
The druggists of the state do not OPP
pose those things so strenuously as
they do oppose the provision Of the Tip
pins bill which prohibits the sale of
any liquid compound containing more
than one per cent Of alcohol, The
druggists Of Georgia appointed COM
mittee to confer with a legislative COM
mittee looking to the amending of the
Tippins bill in such wise as to remove
that Objectionable feature. but the COM
mittee from the druggists claim that
the bill was not so amended, as the leg
islatiye committee said it should be
hence the druggists will fight it, as it
stands.
Druggists returning from the annual
meeting of the Georgia Pharmaceutical
association, now in session in Savan-
nah, say that the Tipplns bill has been
a topic of continued discussion during
the progress of the convention. They
say that the druggists will oppose it
virtually to a man, in its present form
The druggists claim that the Tippins
bill would drive the sale of drugs abso-
lutely from the state, if enacted in its
present form. They point out, for in
stance. that paregoric, one of the COM
monest articles Of sale in drug stores
would be barred from the market under
the operation of this bill. because it
contains necessarily a high percentage
of alcohol They cite scores of other
drugs that would be eliminated from
the trade by the Tippins bill.
Early Vote on Bill Expected.
The Tippins bill win come up for ac-
ton early in the summer session of the
legislature. 1t has been read in the
house twice, and can hardly he kept
from vote long. After it passes the
house, if 1t does pass. and it generally
is predicted thar it will it must go to
the senate. If the senate passes it,
there still is the chance that the gov
ernor will veto it--that in all likeli-
hood. will depend upon the shape in
which it gets to the governor.
Already there is talk of amending it.
before it leaves the house, An amend =
ment providing for the abolition OF
locker clubs is being talked of; an
other amendment to meet the objec-
tiOns of the drug trade mas it's advo-
Gates; while still another amendment
vague and indefinite as yet, is being
thought out. whereby it may be re-
ferred to the people for approval or re-
lection. as the case may be, after it Is
Dassed by the legislature