Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1917-06-29
PROHIBITION FIGHT
Continued from Page One)

stand from the very beginning that no
profitable patriotism will be TOLERATE
ed. If a concrete illustration were re-
quired to demonstrate the necessity for
some sort of legislation in relation to
prices. it is found in the recent state
ment concerning the steel corporation
We find, before the war this corpor-
alton selling it's product at from $2l to
$25 ton At the beginning of 1915 its
contract price for the delivery of steel
plates to commercial shipbuilding con-
Germs was s42.56 per ton and very re-
Gently it asked from the United States
government sos per ton.
when an ordinary man sees his
loved boy snatched from his home to
be shot to pieces upon a foreign soil
and reads of profits asked by cor
poration created by his government Of
six hundred OF millions per year dur
ing the war he cannot be blamed for
! the demand In which our people aud
which the congress united by the pas
sage of just such bill as this"
Praises Hoover
Senator Johnson praised Herbert G.
Hoover and said he is particularly fl
ted for the task of food adminjstra-
ton.
Lodges Attitude
: Senator Lodge, saying that he won,1
vote for the bill after it had been care
iuiiF considered, opposed some of its pro
VISIONS as amazing and said public EEK
| cltement fer food control LEGISLATION IS
pressing upon Congress, yi;h little public
conception Of the powers the bill prouoses
to confer
The people only know of its provisions
IN general way" he said.
congress must also consider the peoDla
! VINO are seeking for more huge power
more than one of the Caesars went mad
; W mere possession of unrestrained pow
we nave pressure constantly to give
more power"
The Massa chusetts senator ,nnosed nav.
tcuiariy the proposal that American in
dustfies shall sell to foreign nations .,
well as the American government a. low
prices He said that the minimum price
'A"s provision holds "over the heads OF
all business and industries deadly
threat and protested against tie exemp-
ton OF farmers from the boarding sec
tion.
opposing the dry legislation as an In
Jec'on OF moral issue and not war
measure, the senator directed attention
! 10 the TACT that the effort to impose pro-
hiDition on the country has been miXeI
up with food conservation" by Congress
ltsef and not by the administration. He
declared himself in favor of nrohihiting
the manufacture of distilled l;1ucrs dur
ing the war but thought beer and wines
should be permitted. Beer he said car
RES virtually little alcohol and the closing
OF the breweries not only would stop the
drinking of beer but would deprive the
country OF S14c,o ooooo in revenue. throw
over ioo'"o men out of employment and
lose all the taxes which come from the
approximately sl,oco, 900, 900 invested in the
industry
now come to the controlling fac
tor in this matter" he continued A
united public opinion is the greatest
FACTOR In winning the war Abolish all
the hreweries at stroke throw 1co.G01
people out Of employment and deprive
the hundreds of thousands of laboring
and other people who taken their glass
or beer and see no harm in it. and
you will engender dissatisfaction and
resentment"
he referred to the large German
American population who were accus-
TONED to their beer. These people, he
asserted. were loyal to America and
IL would put burden on them to cut
off beer
telling how New England dairy IN
ferests depend upon brewers by-prod-
ucts for cattle feed. the senator said
the stoppase OF brewing would send
many milk cattle to the slaughter
house and that 1t also would be likely
TO double the price OF bread by sud
denly reducing by 40 per cent the sup
ply or yeast which is made largely
from brewing products
Germany. Senator Lodge declared,
has not restricted alcoholic beverages
In any way while France gives her SOL
diers regular wine rations. and" he
added. II think nobody will dispute
that the German and French soldiers
are or good FIGHTING quality. It is idle
TO say that the men who drink beer
and light wines are undermined"