The Hawaiian gazette. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1865-1918, 1917-07-31
THE HAWAIIAN GAZE F7FE
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RODERICK 0. MArHESON. EDITOR
Marching On
TUESDAY MORNING,
JULY 81. 1917.

- ROUND has been shifted so many times by
~ the senate on the proper solution Of the
whiskey and other hard spirits issue during the
war, with the conference committee itself APP
parenty twice changing its mind on the same
question, that it is somewhat bewildering at this
distance and with an abridged press report, to fol
low it, Apparently, however, spirits are to be
tabued altogether, the conferees on the Food Con
troll Bill having closed up the loopholes in the
measure the senate finally passed it.
As the bill emerged from the upper house it
simply forbade the further dstillation of spirits
leaving the stocks already distilled and held in
bond subject to withdrawal for SALE except that
the President might commander this at price
that gave the disters a ten percent profit. The
communicating was not mandatory upon the
President. This plan suited the dstillers perfect
~, inasmuch as they have enough spirits in bond
for a three year supply, the price on which they
gould run up to whatever limit the boozer would
stand for. Fifty cents drink was already being
quoted as the market price ..,&
Now, according to the reading of the wireless
dispatches of Saturday the President is directed
to commanders not only what whskey is in bond
but all other stocks Of whskey previously with
drawn from the bonded warehouses. This will
put the cork in the national flask. In addition,
when the Army authorities reach the decision that
the manufacture and sale of beer and light wines
is retarding the military efficiency Of the nation,
the President is empowered to extend prohibition
to these beverages, giving us bone dry nation.
Today in the senate the debate commences on
the constitutional amendment resolution intro
duced the first day Of the session by Senator
Sheppard, which calls for nationwide prohibition.
X is stated thatithe vote on this to be taken on
Wednesday, by agreement will be close 1t APP
pears certain that the resolution has better
chance OF receiving favorable consideration now
than similar resolutions at any previous time and
its passage by congress would be long, long step
toward making the United States bone dry ma
ton for keeps. Once such a resolution is passed
in congress it stands and the fight would be mme-
dately transferred to the various States twothirds
OF which would have to ratify the amendment to
add it to the Constitution
OF the forty-eight States, twenty-five today are
bone dry, and it is taken for granted that these
twenty-five would ratify the amendment at the
FIRST sessions Of their legislatures, leaving only sew
Of the twenty three others to be secured BY the
Prohibitionists In all probability the dry forces
would select those States now known to be nearest
prohibition and would concentrate their fight in
these. In each of the twenty-three States the
liquor forces would be on the defensive, however,
and fighting downhill battle in every one
The Food Control measure of prohibition is for
the duration of the war only, but it will give pro-
the nation will never, in all probability, return to
the condition Of today. Every indication is of
steady progress towards an all-prohibtion Union.