The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1916-1920, 1919-10-28
FRIEND AND FOE OF
BOOZE UP IN AIR
Volstead Bill Veto and House
Repassing Make for Greater
Uncertainty.
SENATE ACTION AWAITED
Continuation Of 2.75 Beer and
Light Wines Is Most
Likely Course.
SENATE ACTION AWAITED


Federal officials and liquor dealers
alike were in a state OF bewilderment
and uncertainty last night after they re-
ceived the news that the House Of Rep
resentatives had passed the Volstead bill
over the Presidents veto. officials Of
the Retail Liquor Dealers Association.
which held two meetings during the af-
ternoon and evening. declared that
things were so much up In the air that
they couldn't tell what they would do
about continuing the sale of 2.75 beer
and light wines, as they have been doing
since July 1 to a large extent.
Federal officials we're in much the
same predicament, unable to tell whether
they are to enforce the Volstead bill or
continue the enforcement of the wartime
prohibition act as 1t has been enforced
since the act became operative. The
liquor skies are not expected to clear
greatly until the Senate either passes the
bill again or kills II.
Everybody connected with enforcing
the Federal laws was willing to bet his
last dollar that the President would let
the Volstead act become law without his
signature and on hiatt theory plans to
put the prospective new law into effect at
one minute after midnight tonight had
been worked out to the last detail. Then
suddenly came the astonishing flash
from Washington. and blooie went all
the carefully made arrangements
The question which Immediately oc-
CURED to everybody interested in the
situation was, What will be the effect of
the veto? Some persons jumped to the
conclusion that liquor sellers could go
back to the bad, glad days before the
war when booze was plentiful and oh.
so cheap; that the veto in fact killed
war time prohibition That is a mis-
taken notion. 1t was promptly explained
by Federal Attorney Caffeys office and
by representatives OF Internal Revenue
| Agent Daniel Porter that the war time
! ban is still on-very much on--and that
il will be just as unlawful to sell drinks
| tomorrow as 1t was yesterday. This
apparently still was true after the House
had repassed the bill over the veto.
The effect of the veto is to keep the
| situation just where II has been since
| July /, with prohibition legally a fact
but actually a Joke so far as New York
is concerned. Obviously from the atti-
tude of the restaurant and saloon men
yesterday it is going to be bigger joke
! than ever.
Porter "FlRbbergasted."
The individual most concerned over
| the swiftly changing situation was Rev
| enue Agent Porter, the large, vigorous
person who announced not so long age
| that woe would be unto the publican
who dared barter skee a minute after
the Volstead act went into effect. Mr.
Porter was plumb fiabbergasted and
| said So.
Like other Federal officials" he said
last evening, Il must now wait TO see
what happens. / had made my plans tc
clap on the law in New York at midnight
tomorrow. or a minute after midnight
| 70 be precise so naturally the announce
nent from Washington makes a big diff
ference
However. the situation is really un
changed. The Volstead act was merely
an enforcement act. 1t had nothing I,
do with the situation which has existed
since July l. No person in the country
has a legal right to sell any drink con
tanning more than a half of / per cent
of alcohol. not even 275 beer. Evidenc,
may be gathered against any person vic
lating the war time law and prosecution
may be had in court. The failure OF tn,
Volstead act merely makes the still ex
isting law more difficult to enforce"
This was the view taken also by tn
Federal Attorneys staff. In this offlc
it was suggested that saloonkeepers an
restaurant men would be running no les
a risk of prosecution tomorrow thai
they ran yesterday II they violated tn
war time act. Under the surface how
ever. the Federal Attorneys staff SCENE.
to think that the lid is lifted, that sa
loonmen and restaurant owners will nov
go much further than they had dare
venture before the President lndicate
how he felt about war time prohibition
That tendency was very quickly APP
parent on the part of liquor men afte
the news came out. They seemed Z
think that the veto solved all Of thei
problems and resolved all of their diff
culties. At the meeting OF the Retai
Liquor Dealers Association in Terrac
Garden yesterday afternoon the opinio
was frankly given that conditions Il
New York will revert to about what the
were before July l
Liquor Men PUSHED.
Thomas d. O'Connor. secretary OF tn
association, said after another and
closed door meeting of that body Las
night that the swift change in the stu
alton had made II impossible for them {
form any sort OF policy.
in the first place." said Mr.. OCor
nor, the members of the assooiatio
met TO discuss ways and means Of absc
lutely obeying the expected enforcement
act Since so much property was II
voived, there was a good deal OF discus
sion. Then came. in the middle OF tn
meeting, the news of the veto OF I'll
} Volstead act. The talk changed entirel
} TO a discussion Of what would be pos
sible with the situation about as 1t ha
been since July /. And finally we hea
tonight that the House OF Represents
tives has overridden the President
veto.
I IF the Senate follows suit then tn