The Birmingham age-herald., 1919-07-09
DRY ENFORCEMENT
 VOTE IS UNLIKELY BEFORE NEXT WEEK
House Adopts Special Rule for Immediate Considera- tiOn of Enforcement
 Bill 235 to 59
By s.seelated Prss.

Washington, July s.-The House, by adopting, 235 to 59, today special
 rule for immediate consideration of
 prohibition enforcement legislation, in-
 dicated sufficient votes to enact the measure without the IF hours of gen. eral debate allotted memhers anxious to speak for and against its passage. But despite this big majority and the promise by Chairman Volstead of the judiciary committee that all of the time set aside might not be used, in- dications tonight were tha. 2 vote on the bill itself would not be reached this week. Every effort was made to- day by -prohibitionis,s to delay demands for roll calls an1 by forcing l the reading, word by word. officially printed text of the bill.
 All these attempts at delay were ac- cepted with good grace by the majority until Representative Sabath of Illinois and Representative Caldwell of New York, both new members, brought a protest from members who declared they were endeavoring by dilatory tac- ties to slow up the proceedings Less than two of the 12 hours for detlte l ndQ DteH uSeQ when the f1OuS9 aQ- l journed to resume consideration Thurs fday, tomorrow being calendar day. l No attempt was made today to split I the bill so as to take out the first part relating solely to enforcement of war lt.nc prohibition with a view to its | early passage. This, however. will be done later, and while members fight ling for modification or repeal of the wa. .-time aci are hopeessiy in the ntrr,;ty. they announced their detei : lritnation to keep on fighting until the whole questioa of enforcement legis- 1 ,atior, was settled in the House.
 The principal speech in support ot the judiciary committees report was made by Chairman Volstead, who de- clared he did not belong to the Anti Saloon league and had never made a prohibition address. Tn a general way | his address followed the tenor of the majority report prepared by him. Pres ent day conditions showed the need of l enacting additional legislation, the
 chairman declared. because of the at 1 tempt to set the wartime act a. naught by dealers selling 2N per cent beer. For an hour or more the chair
 man stood as smiling target while prohibition members interrupted him time without number. Frequently the House was in an uproar.
 | Referring to the 2&4 per cent beer con- troversy, MT. volstead said he had found 1 by examination of records and by con sulting druggists that if man drank 100 glasses of that beverage he would get in alcoholic content exactly seven
 beer glasses of the strongest whisky. Or, the chairman explained. if man took | only IA glasses of beer he would get the equal of one beer glass of strong
 whisky. And this one glas sof whisky, he contended. was sufficient to make anybody drunk except a confirmed toper."
 1 The chairman stood his ground good inaturedly while members were firing louestions at him, many of these being of character to provoke applause. Once when Representative Caldwell had inter rupted him to say that during the in- fluenza epidemic last year whisky was the standard remedy, Representative Layton. republican. of Delaware. who is a physician. took vigorous exception and declared the statement was not true. 1 There was an extended discussion as to the beverage possibilities of patent
 (Conttnned on Page TWo.)