The Chattanooga news. [volume] (Chattanooga, Tenn.) 1891-1939, 1919-08-11
ANOTHER STEP.
FOR PROHIBITION
Senate Judiciary Committee
Begins Consideration Of
Bill Passed by House.
MEASURE IS LIBERALIzED
Adopt Plan for Separate sec-
tions on War Time and Con-
stitutional Provisions.

l oVAVubASAsS4 n w AsAOASs
Washington, Aug. 11.-Prohibition
enforcement legislation advanced an
other step in congress today when
the senate judiciary committee began
consideration OF the bill passed by
the house last June as amended and
liberalized by the judiciary subcom-
mittee.
Although the general house plan
for enforcement of wartime and con-
stitutional prohibition remains In the
bill. the subcommittee eliminated
modified others. In its work, the
subcommittee. comprising Senators
| Sterling, republican, of South Dakota,
chairman; Fall, of New Mexico, and
Norris, of Nebraska, republicans, and
Overman, of North Carolina; Walsh,
of Montana, and King, of Utah, dem
ocrats, first revised the senate en-
forcement bill and then incorporated
their amendments In the house bill,
representing the latter as amended
by unanimous vote to the full COM
mittee.
Like the house, the senate subcom-
mittee adopted the plan of having
separate sections in the bill to deal
with wartime and constitutional pro-
hibition.
| The subcommittee left unchanged
the house definition of Intoxicating
| beverages as those containing one
half of / per cent. or more of alco-
| hol. AS revised, the bill will not in
terfere with storage and personal use
of intoxicants in the homes of indi-
| viduals.
Most Liberal Amendment.
Probably the most liberal amend
ment to the house bill is a provision
exempting from penalties any person
manufacturing intoxicating cider
and fruit juices exclusively for use
| in his house." This would permit
home manufacture of light wines and
cider for personal consumption and
the amendment, except by implica-
ton in connection with the definition
of intoxicants, does not define mon
intoxicating" beverages.
Stricken from the house bill was
the provision making it unlawful for
persons to be intoxicated or to drink
liquor on trains, street cars, jitneys,
, boats or other public conveyances.
Another liberalization is a provi-
sion that reports of manufacture,
sales and transportation of liquor,
made to the internal revenue collec-
tor. shall not be open to inspection
of the general public, but kept solely
for scrutiny of the commissioner, his
agents, court or other officers.
The house search warrant provi-
sion also was made less drastic, the
subcommittee amending the search
and seizure section so as to provide
that search warrants may be Issued
| only under the usual practice pro-
vided by existing federal law and not
on mere suspicion that liquor is be-
ing stored for unlawful purposes.
Instead of the house bills unlim-
tied provision for funds to enforce
prohibition, the subcommittee fixed
$3,500,000 for the first years enforce
ment work, and leaves this duty
jointly to the internal revenue COM
missioner and the department of JUS
tice. The former Is to report and the
latter to prosecute violations.
Defining Intoxicating Liquor.
In defining intoxicating liquor the
subcommittee added the following
ever, that the foregoing definition
Zone half of l per cent. alcohoD shall
not extend 90 dealcoholized wine nor
to any liquor or liquors produced by
the process by which beer, ale or por-
ter is manufactured, but containing
not more than one-half of l per cent.
of alcohol If such liquor or liquid
shall be otherwise denominated than
as beer. ale or porter" This proviso
rejects the request of prohibition
advocates for prohibition of bever-
ages which have the appearance of
intoxicants.
Another relaxation of the house
bill was made in its provision for
penalizing persons having reason to
believe their property Is being used
unlawfully. The senate amendment
requires personal knowledge" of
such use.
The house provision declaring that
after Feb. 1, 1920, the possession of
liquor unauthorized by the law shall
be prima facie evidence that 1t is be-
ing kept for sale is retained and
strengthened by an addition provid-
ing that in proceedings under this
section the burden of proof shall be
on defendants to prove that such
beverages do not contain more than
one half Of l per cent. alcohol.
Exemptions Retained.
The subcommittee provision re-
tains the following exemptions asl
provided by the house: Denatured
alcohol, medicinal preparations, pat
ent medicines, toilet and medicinal
preparations, havoring extracts, |
syrups, vinegar and fruit juices. The
subcommittee, however struck out
the house clause that such articles
should be "nonpotable," prescribing
merely that they shall be unfit for
beverage purposes" A house clause
requiring alcoholic content of toilet, |
medicinal and antiseptic articles to
be labeled was stricken out.
Retaining the house provision pro-
hibiting manufacture. sale, purchase,
transportation or prescription of in
toxicants without a permit from the |
internal revenue commissioner the
revised bill contains a provision that
such acts shall be expressly author
lied upon receipt of permits.
The house limit of ten days on per- !
mits to purchase intoxicants also is
extended in the revised bill to ninety /
days. Pharmacists only may sell at
retail and licensed physicians only |
may prescribe liquor. The house re- |
quirement for physical examination
by physicians of applicants for liquor
however, was elm
mated.
As to SacramentaI Wine.
The house provision limiting ply
sicians dispensing to one pint of
liquor in ten days for the same per-
son is retained, but modified to pro-
vide that such limitation shall apply
only to prescriptions ito be taken
internally"
More rigorous provisions guarding
in wines for sacramen-
tai and religious purposes are pro-
vided by a provision requiring is
suances Of such permits only to min
isters, rabbis or other ecclesiastics.
Ban On Advertisements.