The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1920-01-16
Manufacture and Sale of
Any Beverage Containing
One-Half Of / Per Cent
WHERE LIQUOR SOLD,
COMMON NUISANCE
At Midnight Tonight Con-
stitutional Prohibition
Comes In

tutional prohibition becomes effective
at midnight tonight
From 1901 a. M, the manufacture,
sale or transportation OF intoxicating
liquors within, the Importation thereof
into, or the expectation thereof from
the United States and all territory sub
ject to the jurisdiction thereof, for bev
erage purposes" is prohibited by the
18th amendment to the constitution,
and the United States becomes the
first nation of the world to make such
provision part Of its basic law. Con-
gress has defined an intoxicating liquor
as any beverage containing one-half OF
| per cent, or more, of alcohol.
Actually, the advent of constitution
al prohibition will make little difference
in the daily life of the people of this
country, as they have been living under
the nation wide war time ban on alco-
hoic drinks since last July, There
have been eager hopes entertained by
the thirsty. by distillers and by spec
ulators holding large quantities of
whiskey for higher prices, that war
time prohibition would be lifted before
to-day in accordance with the recon-
mendasion OF President Wilson to Con-
gress, but Congress refused to do so
and the arid spell now about to begin
under authority of the nations consti-
tuition, which prohibitionists declare
will continue in effect for all time in
asmueh as it could be revoked only in
the same manner in which it came into
existence, will permit no opportunity
for the replenishment OF private cellars
or the unloading Of investment stocks.
There are two cases pending in supreme
court. however, attacking constitutions
al prohibition, one by the state of
Rhode Island, the other on behalf of
the Retail Liquor Dealers association
of New Jersey.
Thousands Of gallons of whiskey re-
main in bonded warehouses with no
chance to be sold at prevailing high
prices The liquor can be taken out
only for medicinal and scientific uses,
with the bureau of internal revenue ex-
erting extreme precautions to see that
none .of it is used in violation Of the
law During the last two months,
many owners of alcoholic liquors, fore
seeing no opportunity Tor sale IN this
country, have endeavored to flush the.
surplus to other countries. Lack OF
shipping space prevented more than a,
fraction being exported. Cuba and the
Bahamas have received most Of what
was sent abroad. There were 50,o00o00
gallons on hand when wartime prohibit
ton went into effect. The amount ex-
ported is not known but il probably
less than 20,000,000 gallons.
Attacks on constitutional prohibition,
begun in several states, apparently are
not viewed with alarm by the reform
forces. After the supreme court up
held the constitutionality of wartime
prohibition and the measures 10 en-
force it, Wayne b. Wheeler, general
counsel of the Anti-Saloon League OF
America, announced that the only ques-
ton left on which the vets could make
a fight was whether prohibition was a
proper subject for constitutional action
and whether the amendment had been
adopted legally. He commended there
was no doubt on the subject. New
Jersey officials, who searched state de-
partment records of the ratification of
the amendment, announced they had
found no variations in language which
would warrant attacking IL.
Enforcement Of constitutional prohi-
bition was lodged by Congress with the
bureau of internal revenue, which for
wears has been in close touch with dis
filling and brewing interests in the
collection of excise taxes and active in
running down "moonshiners." Evidence
collected by the bureau will be used in
prosecutions by the department OF jus
tice.
Commissioner Roper has established
an entirely separate division in the bu-
rcau of internal revenue for the en-
forcement of prohibition, headed by
John +. Kramer Of Mansfield, O., as
prohibition commissioner for the United
States. He will have under him nine
federal supervisors in charge Of as
many districts. director in each state
and a mobile force which can be shifted
from place TO place as conditions de-
mand.
Enforcement Depends Largely on Local
Sentiment.
Mr. Roper has made plain, however,
that enforcement Of prohibition de-
ponds largely on local sentiment and
has appealed to citizens of the United
States TO give their cooperation to up
holding the law of the country. Fed
eral forces, he said. would be used TO
reinforce local efforts. and where any
state officer failed in his duty, his con
stituents would be informed.
Approximately s500.00o-oo0- in taxes
has been collected annually On alcoholic
beverages. which now will have to be
obtained by the government in some
other way.
Prohibition sentiment, eliminating in
the epoch-making amendment to the
constitution. has been growing steadily
in this country since ls0S. according TO
records compiled BY the beard Of TEN
perance % the Methodist Episcopal
church. AT that time, demand for
moderation in the use Of ardent spirits
arose. followed 10 years lister by an
even broader movement for abstinence
from ardent spirits and for moderation
in the use 81 malt liquors This N
turn gave way, in 1870. 20 sentiment
for abstinence from all alcoholic bever-
aces.