Vilas County news. [volume] (Eagle River, Vilas County, Wis.) 1896-1927, 1919-01-22


there is still fight being made TO pre-
vent such ratification and the opinion
is expressed by some that if dry laws
can be seen in operation for a year
or two more it will suffice to prevent
the United States from going entirely
dry. There is an effort being made to
prevent action in legislatures this win
ter until the country has had an ex.
ample of being absolutely dry, which
will be the case under the law recent
ly passed and signed by President VIII
son, which goes into effect July l.
1919.
There has been quite an object les
son for people in the national capital
which is dry by legislation, but which
is rather wet by reason of the various
methods that have been adopted to OBJ
tain liquors. Since the District of Co
lumbia was made dry by legislation
we have become familiar with the
terms "bootlegger," blind pig" speak
easy" and similar expressions which
have always been used for the pur-
pose OF designating illegal traffic in
intoxicating liquors. Perhaps there
will be an opportunity to shut out
what is known as the bOotlegging
process of bringing in liquor, and also
the large shipments by express which
are now permitted, so long as those
who receive the liquor make affidavit
that it is for their personal use.
Senator Sheppard of Texas, who is the
author of most of the dry legislation,
proposes to apply the Reed bone-dry
law to the District, which would serve
as a good test as to whether the ma
tional capital can be made actually
dry.
Vigorous language is sometimes
Utah, for instance, in speaking about
Hog Island, remarked that there was
ga great deal of vulgar robbery, steal
ing, thlevery, by men engaged in the
Hog Island enterprise" Whereupon
Senator Vardaman of Mississippi said
that 'the language employed by Sen
ator King, when we consider the prov
ocation, is very moderate in character
ization of the subject" He went on to
speak more on the same subject, ana
said that the enterprise lis the most
shameful scheme to rob the pubic
treasury that has been entered into
since 1914" Naturally remarks like
this have brought back rejoinders
from those who are criticized, and
naval officer connected with the Hog
Island project has not hesitated to
give the lie direct in denying these
assertions.
For several months the house
of representatives struggled with
water power and water conserva-
ton bills. Bitter controversies arose
over the subject. Finally it was found
necessary to appoint special COM
mittee composed of leading members
of the committees on interstate and
foreign commerce, agriculture and
public lands, in order that they might
agree upon a bill. Then bill was
sent in by the administration and
after long and tedious debate it was
passed. Another emergency water
power bill was brought up and again
after the consumption of much time
it was passed
What has become of those bills?
They went to sleep safely and calm
ly in choice pigeonholes somewhere
in the senate wing of the capitol.
Month after month the senate dawdled
along, holding sessions Of a few hours,
and adjourning two or three days at
time, but there never seemed to be
any pressure to bring out these water
power conservation bills. AS mat
ter of fact there was enough dynamite
in those bills to have caused discus
sion in the senate lasting year or
two. The house seems to have felt
that it performed its duty when it
sent the bills to the senate and as
the measures were passed the mem
bers thought that it was good rid
dance. These conservation bills which
have been before congress for so many
years might well be under the heading
of wasted efforts in congress-
Scores of bills have been introduced
in both houses of congress providing
that the uniforms which the enlisted
men of the army have in their pos
session at the time they are mustered
out of the service may be retained by
the men. Under present laws and
regulations the uniforms of enlisted
men must be returned to the nearest
quartermaster within 80 days after
the soldier has been mustered out.
Apparently everybody is in favor of
the proposition to allow these soldiers
to Y,ataip tboiI uniforms on6 +bo only,