The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1919-08-12
Senate Judiciary Committee
Takes Up Consideration
OF Bill Passed by House
In June.
HOUSE DEFINITION
is LEFT UNCHANGED
Some of the Most Drastic of
House Provisions Are to
Be Eliminated and Others
Modified.

Washington. Aug. 11.-Prohibition
enforcement legislation advanced an
other step in congress today when the
senate Judiciary committee began en-
sideration of the bill passed by the
house last June as amended and lib
eralized by the judiciary sub-con,-
mittee.
Although the general house plan for
enforcement of wartime and consui-
tutional prohibition remains in the bill,
the subcommittee eliminated several
drastic house provisions and modified
others. In it's work, the sub-commit-
tee comprising Senators Sterling, of
South Dakota, chairman; Fall, OF New
Mexico. and Norris, of Nebraska, re-
publicans. and Overman. of North
Carolina; Walsh, of Montana. and
King of Utah. democrats. first re-
vised the senate enforcement bill and
then Incorporated their amendments
in the house bill, reporting the latter
as amended by unanimous vote of the
full committee.
Like the house, the senate sub-com-
mittee adopted the plan of having
separate suggestions in the bill TO
deal with wartime and constitutional
prohibition.
The subcommittee left unchanged
the house definition of Intoxicating
beverages as those containing one haif
OF one per cent or more OF alcohol.
AS revised the bill will not inter-
fere with storage and personal use of
intoxicants in the home OF individ-
uals.
Probably the most liberal amend
Il
exempting from penalties any person
manufacturing Notwithstanding cider
and fruit juices exclusively for use
in his house." This would permit
home manufacture of Light wines and
cider for personal consumption and
the amendment. except by implication
in connection with the definition of
intoxicants, does not define "non-in-
toxicating" beverages.
Stricken from the house bill was
the provision making 1t unlawful for
persons to be intoxicated or to drink
liquor on trains, street cars, jitneys,
boats or other public conveyances.
Another liberalization is a provis-
ion that reports Of manufacture. sales
and transportation of liquor, made to
the internal revenue collector, shall
not be open to inspection of the gem
eral public, but kept solely for scrut-
my Of the commissioner, his agents,
court or other officers.
The house search warrant provision
also was made less drastic, the SUBJ
committee amending the search and
seizure section so as to provide that
search warrants may be issued only
under the casual practice provided by
existing federal law and not on mere
suspicion that liquor is being stored
for unlawful purposes.
Instead of the house bills unlimited
provision for funds to enforce pro-
hibition, the subcommittee fixed $3,-
100000 for the first years enforce
ment work, and leaves this duty joint
ly to the internal revenue commits
sioner and the department of justice.
The former is to report and the lat
ter to prosecute violations. In defin-
ing intoxicating liquor. the sub-com
mittee added the following liberalizing
proviso:
Provided, however, that the FORE
going definition (one-half OF one per
cent of alcohoD shall not extend to
de e-a1coholized wines nor to any liquor
or liquors produced by the process by
which beer. ale or porter is manu-
factured, but containing not more THAI
one-haf of one per cent Of alcohol
if such liquor or liquid shall be other
wise denominated than as beer, ale or
porter This proviso rejects the re-
quest of prohibition advocates for pro-
hibition of beverages which have tho
appearance of intoxica.its.
Another relaxation OF the house was
made in its provision for penalizing
persons having reason to believe
their property is being used unlaw-
fully. The senate amendments re-
quires personal knowledge of such
use.
The house provision declaring that
after February 1. 1920. the possession
of liquor unauthorized by the law
shall be prima facie evidence that it
is being kept for sale is retained and
strengthened by an addition providing
that, in provisions under this section,
the burden of proof shall be on de-
PENDANTS to prove that such beverages
do not contain more than one half of
one per cent of alcohol.