Omaha daily bee., 1917-07-09
SENATE'S ACTION
ON LIQUOR BLOW
TO J. BARLEYCORN
DistiIIers Are Likely to Take
Opportunity to Remove LARGE
Quantities From Bond at
Earliest Opportunity.
Washington Bureau Of The Omaha Bee.
res Fourteenth street, N. w.
IRv a Staff Cnrreanendan


~ Washington, July 8.-(Special Tel
egram. John Bar1eycorn received
wound yesterday from which it will
take long time to recover. D..
John Barleycorn goes off the map
in thirty days after the passage of the
food conservation bill, which has
been before the senate since June 27
and in all that time food conservation
has not even been discussed, for John
Barleycorn held the center of the
stage. ...
And now it's all over. Beer and
light whiskey can walk down the
public streets, while John Barleycorn
has been made all outcast with a
price on his head, a price that will
be quickly paid by the distillers to
take their whiskeys and brandies out
OF bond in order to avoid the double
tax, which the finance committee OF
the senate proposes to put on all
distilled liquors remaining in bond
when the war revenue measure be-
comes law August Is.
Hitchcock Tries To Save.
Senator Hitchcock endeavored in
the senate today to save John Barley
corn's face when he spoke dramatical-
ly of taking private property fostered
by the government without due COM
pensation and he took issue with his
blind colleague, Senator Gore, on a
number OF the Oklahoman's theories
that even a blind man might have a
clear vision of legislative limitations.
The senate went ON record in favor
Of bone dry" national prohibition
during the war, so far as whiskey
and other distilled beverages are con-
ccrned.
Liquor legislation was written into
the food control bill in one of the SEN
ate's bitterest contests, which would
strike at consumption Of distilled in
toxicants by communicating stocks
in bond in addition to prohibiting
their manufacture or importation,
The beer and wine industries would
be left undisturbed.
To Take Over Stock.
In lieu of the section OF the house
J bill to prohibit the manufacture Of
| foodstuHs into beverages of any des-
criptions. the senate substituted by a
vote of 45 to 81 a provision prohibit
ing the manufacture or sale Of dis
titled beverages during the war and
added, 65 to II, further clause di-
recting the president to take over
all distilled spirits i'll government
bonded warehouses and pay for it on
the basis Of cost plus 10 per cent.
While the final prohibition legisla-
ton will be evolved in conference be-
tween the two houses, it is generally
regarded as possible that the house
will accept the senate's change after
fight in behalf OF the original Sec
tion.
The senate provision would limit
consumption to stocks in retailers
hands or withdrawn before the law
goes into effect. Stocks of distilled
beverages in bond were estimated to-
night at between 200,000,000 and 300,-
100000 gallon and the annual normal
consumption at l20,000,000 gallons.
Cost Is Heavy.
To purchase this enormous quantity
OF liquor or what is left of it after
Withdrawals in anticipation of the
legislation it is estimated that the
government would have to spend
from $30O,000,000 to $l,000,000,000.
1
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