The Washburn times. [volume] (Washburn, Wis.) 1896-1976, 1919-12-04

ton, the center Of important activities.
case it is likely they will call strike
by December 1. Unless by that time
peace has been officially proclaimed,
such strike could be attacked by the
act, in the opinion of government Off
Gals, since it would absolutely tie up
the distribution of necessities of life.
The insistent need of legislation for
the return of the railroads to their
former owners before the president
gives them up has led to talk of letting
that take precedence in the senate over
the peace treaty. This, however, is
not likely to occur. But something
must be done very soon. Representa-
tive Esch's railroad bill has been made
public, and some features of it have
aroused loud protests, in congress and
out of it. The measure contains no
anti-strike and lockout provisions, and
fight to introduce such clauses will
be made in the house. Other changes
that will be proposed will be to pre-
vent the railroads from perpetuating
and enlarging their ownership of wa
ter lines. Thetus Sims of Tennessee
hopes to present substitute bill for
government ownership of rights of way
and other physical properties of the
roads, with private operation under
lease. At any rate, he will offer an
amendment limiting railroad execu
tives' salaries to $4,000 year.
The prohibition situation is get
ting decidedly complicated, the de-
velopments of the week being in ia
vor of the vets. When the Ohio vote
had been officially counted it was
found the people had defeated rati-
fication of the federal constitutional
amendment, two and three-fourths per
cent beer, repeal of the state prohibit
ton and the Crabbe enforcement act.
If enough more Of the states whose
constitutions contain the referendum
provision follow the example of Ohio,
the federal amendment might be Killed.
In Louisville, KY, Federal Judge Ev-
ans, in effect, held wartime prohibit
ton unconstitutional and enjoined the
internal revenue collector and district
attorney from interfering with the sale
by two distilleries of their tax-paid
whisky. Federal Judge Brown at Prov
idence, r. l., issued an injunction re-
straining the government officers from
enforcing the wartime prohibition act,
and declared his belief that the Vol
stead enforcement act is uncOnStitu-
tional, being repugnant to the prohibit
ton amendment. In Providence the
sale of 4 per cent beer was resumed
Immediately. Judges Carpenter and
Fitzhenry in Chicago heard arguments
in similar case and the vets were
confident that their decision would be
the same as that of Judge Brown.
Meanwhile Internal Revenue Com
missioner Roper is going calmly ahead
preparing the machinery for the en-
forcement Of both wartime and con-
stitutional prohibition. This machin-
cry will be put in motion on Novem-
Der IL, and it's chief engineer will be
John f. Kramer of Mansfield, o., who
has been appointed national prohibit
ton commissioner. The country has
been divided into nine districts, each
of which will have supervising agents;
there will be director for each state,
and large mobile force under the
orders of Mr.. Kramer. Wherever the
state and municipal officers fail to en-
force the prohibition laws, the fed
eral agents will act.
Secretary of State Lansing, after be-
ing told of the Ohio. vote, said the
reputation of the constitutional
amendment has no effect on the de-
partment's proclamation of last Janu-
airy putting the country under prohibit
tion next January 16.
eve received formal legal notice of
the ratification by the Ohio legisla-
ture," he said through the proper
channels and from the proper officials
in Ohio. We cannot go behind this,
nor can we question the legality of the
notification we received"
The war which the government, with
the approval and backing of all good
citizens, is waging on the radicals who
infest the country continues, and
might be said to be having excellent
results, if there were not such unac-
countable delay in the deportation of
the anarchists who have been caught.
Several incidents Of the week may
well serve to speed up the proceed
ings. The most serious was at Cen
tralia, WASH, where members of the
I. w. W. fired a volley into an Arm
istice day parade, killing four mem
bers of the American Legion and