The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1919-10-29
Is Armed With Drastic Bill
Passed Over Wilson Veto.
WILL Be NO WET SPELL?
Officials Think Two 'Deserts''
VIII Merge.
Sale of 2.75 Per Cent VIII Be
Stopped Immediately.

Washington. Oct. 29.-Congress to-
day gave final approval of bill ap
propriating money necessary to carry
out the provisions of the prohibition
enforcement measure which became a
law over the presidents veto yester-
day.
( Washington, oct. 29.-The national
prohibition lid was being clamped
down today with the government
ready to use all the drastic powers of
the enforcement bill, which became
Jaw late yesterday when congress
.Oyerrode the presidential veto.
The first work of enforcing wartime
prohibition. according to the law, lies
with the, bureau of internal revenue.
Evidence concerning violations of the
law will be collected by the bureau
to be turned over to the department
OF justice for criminal prosecution.
Evidence concerning violations, par
ticularly in the large cities, has been
collected and the attorney general is
expected to start wholesale prosecu-
tions in the next few days.
Make Nation Bone-Dry.
Daniel Roper, commissioner of in
fernal revenue, made it plain that he
plans to make the nation bone-dr
Pending organization of the law en-
forcement bureau as provided in the
prohibition law, he appealed to every
law abiding citizen in the United
States" to support him in the admin
fstration of the prohibition law For
the present. employees of Roper's de-
partment who can be spared from
other work will be put on prohibition
'Not to enforce prohibition eff
fectively would reflect on our form
Of government" Roper said.
CLOSE cooperation among federal,
a Officers
OF utmost importance. Collectors have
been instructed to get in touch with
governors and mayors in each state
and request their cooperation in urg-
ing upon sheriffs and all other local
officers the vital necessity of their
immediately assuming their RESPONSE
bilities under the new act"
Stop 2-75 Per Cent Sale.
z The immediate effect of the law
probably viii be stopping of the sale
of 2.T5 per cent beer. since the en-
forcement bill prohibits any beverage
con aiming one-half of one per cent or
more of~alcohol.
FUNDS for Camping down the lid
will be made available today, house
lenders said. The deficiency bill
a-r~eed to by the senate yesterday pro-
V les 100000 a month for enforcing
d onfbition. The house was planning
to take similar action today.
s.
MED reports that any effort would be
made to pass a bill making the nation
dry between The time the president
declares wartime prohibition at an end
and the beginning of constitutional
prohibition. January Is. 1920. Such
action could be accomplished only
by exercise of war powers, which
would be void after the proclamation
Of peace.
At the same time dry leaders here
believe that wartime prohibition and
constitutional prohibition will merge.
Known that he will not lift the war
time ban until ratification OF the peace
Treaty.
Interest here is is centering in the
efforts of liquor dealers to force the
government to allow them to dispose
Of the supplies now on hand. If the
supreme court should sustain the ac-
ton of the federal court at Louisville,
which held the wartime act uncon-
stitutional because it deprives holders
of bonded liquor of the right to dis
pose of their supplies, it would offer
liquor owners relief,
1t was also pointed out that in case
the government does not allow bonded
liquor to be sold loss of more than
$500, 100000 in revenue will result.
About sixty million gallons are now
in bond and the tax of $40 a gallon
has been paid on only ten million gal
Ions of this large supply.
Dry leaders in congress today saw
the end of the long legislative battle
that has revolved about prohibition
for fifty years.
The few remaining saloons in the
United States were legally open today
for the sale only of beverages con
tanning less than one-half of L per
cent alcohol. Sale as well as manu-
facture of beverages of more than
that amount alcoholic content laid the
saloon keeper as we'll as the brewer
or distillerS liable to heavy penalties
But despite it's drastic provisions, the
law could not touch the man who had
stored up a supply in his own home
fer his own use.