Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1919-06-09
CONGRESS SHAPES
PROHIBITION BILLS
Country Will Demand Answers
to Many Questions Relative
to Final Statute.
CONSIDER TEETH FOR LAWS
Will Have Search and Seizure
Provision, Not to Apply to
Bona Eide Homes.
CONSIDER TEETH FOR LAWS
ny j. FRED EssARy.

ny j. FRED EsSARy.
WASHINGTON. June S.-Measures
which Congress viii take for the en-
forcement Of constitutional! prohibition.
and wartime prohibition as we'll. if
that act is not repealed or suspended
ere now being whipped into tnal form
by Committee, OF ;hc House and Sen
a,e. and wiil be reported out within
week or ten days with the purpose OF
passing them before July l.
And in that connection. Congress
must Civ" tn. countrv an answer TO
many questions. First OF all. will there
be - search and seizure clause in the
new law VIII the enforcement Off
cate liquor found in The possession OF
citizen after july !. or after January.
as the case may be- What may the
7w!er OF spirits, who has been unable
90 Warehouse. do after the sale o.
liquors has heen prohibited: May
p'rsSn twnins a small stock OF liquor
i"f private consumption move Ii in
intef",hi" commerce after the law goes
into cn.c;' May a person even carry
mask 4aW,Hi!y IN his traNclin. bag il
nc goes from New Orleans To New York
ROW may Il Sch person obtain whisky
Tor mtdic!rai purposes, ana how much
al time
May Slave Private stocks.
Ia lnr hISt instance, there viii be a
s.1rclI ana sa.Zure provision in the law.
II the prohiO lion leaders have thei:
way, Eut II Viii not apply TO private
residences. unless there is reason TO
suspect that liquor is being sold in
suSh places ana not then unless Two
itliaolc persons make affidavit 20 that
ehect No: II the government be
give; ih- piiv. ego OF confiscating the
nav. at the t!JE- the Law goes into on
tEatuh Iher' ate plenty OF rabid drys
u ihcy dared iU; even the prohibitiol
lawyers Know Il u would b= a danger
o.s tnInc Gu uTdcgtake
acanir.d f,si' Vi, awf,,,y !fnn,% person may have
Eoes airy. Ia" may keep and consume
u h3s h.r"n;@ cr Will become, his
property, ani not even the govern
nett may ;akt private property un-
iesS u IS Needed for certain pubiic
purposes M "hlCi. event il mus, be
GSordemncd b! cue process or law.
pu, ~ th" tiaSs of property. a fact
'aanites; to ;.nyUouN with any common
sense. Nor hay" the prohibition lead
eFs made any mistake on that point
In every one OF the pending enforce
nitni bills there appears "A clause To
me 'hcc' 'tht proposed law does not
i apriE To the Possession OF intoNi-
eating liquors FOR beverage purposes
IN bona tide residence IL such liquors
"ere purchased and deposited in such
res licences lcfurc this act goes into
effect"
Four Measures OTcred.
This. however, is about the only Iib-
era! iIne that has been written into
any OF these bIlls. Four enforcement
measures nave been. offered in the
House and senate. senator Sheppard
is the author Of one; senator Jones,
"i NaShInSton. OF another, Reprcsen-
iat.Ne NoiStcad, OF a third. and Repre-
sentative Blanton, Of the fourth. These
b!!is are practically Identical, indicat-
ins that they have come from u COM
mon source that source being The
Anti Saloon League Of America There
IS only one important difference This
Is IN the definition o! the word liquor"
ana the phrase Intoxicating liquor"
ne sheppard and Hlanton bills,
which are exactly ihc same, provide
tnat liquor and intoX !cat!ne liuuor
shall be construed to include any
dist!!Ied' mait, splriiuous, vinous. fer
cohoIic liquids and compounds. whether
medicated proprietary, patented or
not and by whatever name called
which arc potable or capable OF being
used as beverage" II is observed
mat the amount OF alcoholic content
Is not fixed in these measures. but
'"e "oFd potabie Is made the test.
Alcoholic Percentages Differ.
The Jones and Nolstead bills. which
are the same, fix the amount OF alco-
hol!c content at one-half OF / per cent
me insertion of that provision is the
only material difference between the
the measures now pending may be re-
Garded as 4 safe guide as 10 the char
acter o! the enforcement law which
inc d"ys are prepared 10 ieeis.ate
upon.
There is obscuri,y as 10 what dis
position The owner OF bonded liquor
may make Of his goods, il ii is sill
on hand AZ the time the Jaw goes into
effect. The hills provide ,nat such
liquor may still he stored in bonded
warehouses; and can he removed un-
A .,,.N,
purposes. Just what such purposes
may he. however. Is not clearly ex-
planned From careful reading Of
the four bills, ii seems ,hat this ,iuuor
may he disposed OF to druggists to
manufacturers OF medicines. mavoring
eH tracts or TO industries which are
II done under the rigid regulations OF
The Treasury Department.
Removal Authority Not Clear.
also there is opscurity as 10 the
right of person to take his legally
liquor from one place 10 an
other There viii be many people with
stocks on hand who move their resi-
dence from one state To another or
who may have liquor stored in one
city and desire TO remove il to their
residences IN other cities. The pro-
posed law specifically provides that
1t shall be unlawful TO transport. eX-
port, receive. deliver any Intoxicating
liquors. This seems to be bar to
the removal OF any wet goods from
the residence OF it's owner even though
IN. owner change his rcsidcncc. The
only qualification that might possibly
apply is that authorizing the Treasury
Department 10 Grant permits 10 those
who move liquor from one place TO
another. and another permit to rail
roads TO carry the liquor in question
But this qualification is in connection
with spirits for druggists. for sacra-
mental purposes ana for Industrial
purposes. so the courts may have TO
decide whether il applies as well to
the private owner Of lawfully obtained
goods.
The enforcement machinery provided
for is identicaily the same in ali four
bills. The office Of prohibition Conn
missioner is created To- he hllcd by
appointment Of the Secretary OF the