Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1918-08-31
EMBARGO ON LIQUOR

President In the matter OF prohibi-
ton of the liquor traffic for the per-
iod of the war, it is reasonable to
expect that the President will exer-
else his power under the law to
place an embargo upon the liquor
business wherever 1t may be neces-
sary to safeguard the interests vital
to the prosecution of the war.
The country is In ne mood fer
eameufiaging this issue at Washing
ton or elsewhere. President Wilson
has been the steady obstruetionist In
the way OF prohibition and with one
reason or another has managed TO
stave off the passing of the saloon
He Is directly responsible for pro-
longing the period In which the busi-
ness may be carried on from Janu-
airy l, 1910, to June 80. 1919, Under
the circumstances. It Is not likely
that he will interfere with the husi-
ness before the time limit axed by
tho act passed by Congress yester-
day,
4 well-known reader OF the Tele-
graph writes to say that Harrisburg
is likely to suffer coal shortage
next winter mot because there Is not
coal to be had, but because 1t can
not be mined and transported" He
adds; within Dauphin county there
Is an abundance OF the best anthra-
cite in America-in the Lykens Val.
ley There still continues. despite
Federal control of both coal and
transportation. a differential which
not only makes this nearby coal cost
more in Harrisburg, but which sends
1t past our coal yards to be hauled
hundreds of miles farther while we
must depend on coal brought in sew
eral roundabout ways utterly with
out relation to conservation of trans
portation or effort"
But there is a larger aspect Of the
chilly coal prospect. On July IL last
the National Coal Association ad-
dressed the Fuel Administrator that
in the opinion of the representative
committee of operators the country
cannot have both booze and sufficient
coal this winter. The liquor traffic is
curtailing coal production and the
time has come to eliminate it"
Our indignant correspondent says
he has seen no rejoinder to this def
mite statement. but that he had been
informed that President Wilson
himself. as has been stated on the
floor of Congress. is responsible for
postponing' the dropping of the pro-
hibition gate until July /, 1919.
Our correspondent also states that
on the authority of the New York
Independent (page 240, August "a,
1919, he learned that last year 1t re-
quired 157,915 cars to haul boozs in
the United States and that the liquor
traffic burned 60.0oO,o0o tons of coal
while it was decreasing the produc-
ton of that necessity.
AS between coal and booze there
can be no doubt whatever upon which
side the people are aligned. If it is
a good thing to suspend the liquor
traffic, next July, it is a good thing
now. Upon President Wilson must
rest the entire responsibility for the
postponement of vital war meas
ure.
Senator Sheppard, of Texas, author
of the prohibition amendment to the
Constitution, informed the Senate
that the President had asked for a
postponement of prohibition until
January /, 1920, in order to obtain
releasing the stores of distilled
spirits now in bond. But the Senate
would not stand for further delay
and fixed July /, of next year.
1t has been stated over and over
again that while the people were
freezing and industries were closed
for want of fuel last year, the brew
cries were not hindered in their oper-
alton for lack of coal. Nor was there
any saving of the congested railroad
facilities through an embargo upon
the shipment of booze.
Senator Kirby, of Arkansas,
minces no words in a statement that
the Federal Government has been
favoring the liquor interests ever
since the war began; that when in
dustrial plants were closed last win
ter east of the Mississippi river not
a brewery in the United States was
shut down and when limitation was
placed upon the use of flour in bread
one could buy all the beer he
wanted.