Wausau pilot. [volume] (Wausau, Wis.) 1896-1940, 1920-01-27
PLAN TO REDUCE
PROHIBITION LOSS
Dry Leaders Working on Program
of Compensation for
Liquor Dealers.
ABOUT 100000 GALLONS
Government May Issue Treasury certI-
ficates in Payment for Stock Held
in Bonded Warehouses and Sell
for Legitimate Uses.

Washington, Jan. 20.-Prohibition
leaders are working out a comprehen-
sive program for reimbursing the own-
ers of Intoxicating liquor for the losses
ITO be sustained under constitutional
prohibition.
A proposal has been submitted to
the treasury department by some of
the prohibitionists in congress which
provides that the government shall
purchase all the liquors now being held
under bond, amounting to about co.,
ooO,OOO gallons. Treasury certificates
would be issued for the LIQUOR and
these liquidated only as the govern
ment finds legitimate uses for this
large amount of bonded spirits.
From ten to twenty years, prohibit
Con leaders estimate, will be required
TO use up this stock legitimately-such
as for medicinal, scientific or indus
trial purposes.
The fact that many banks, holders
of warehouse certificates for govern
ment bonded liquor, will be large los
ers unless some relief is granted, is
drawing support for the program. Pro-
hibitionists believe the plan will pro-
vide for stricter and more econOmi-
cal enforcement of prohibition and de-
crease much of /. the antagonism
throughout the country to the dry era.
The disposition of the liquor now in
bond has been put up to congress
Squarely by the Internal revenue bu-
reau. Extra guards are being placed
around all bonded warehouses by the
prohibition enforcement division of the
bureau. The government must guard
all this liquor, and under the present
system the expense is fast mounting up
into the several millions.
The new program contemplates the
concentration of this liquor in several
large bonded warehouses, so that its
distribution for illegal purposes can be
prevented absolutely. At present it is
stored in $50 government and about
175 private warehouses, thus requiring
a small army to guard it.
A few radical prOhibitionists in con-
gress favor the immediate destruction
of all this liquor, but others point out
that a small supply for medicinal pur-
poses will be needed always.
Refund by the government of taxes
paid on liquors held in bond which
the owners have been unable to sell or
dispose of, redemption by the govern
ment of unused tax stamps purchased
to be placed on such liquors, and pur-
chase by the government of all liquors
in bond are provided by a bill intro
duced in the house by Representative
SABBATH of Illinois.
AS it's enactment would result in a
heavy drain on the treasury, which the
Republican leaders are now deter
mined to prevent wherever possible, it
is not believed that the legislation will
receive favorable consideration at this
session.
Wholesale arrests of bootleggers all
over the country were predicted here
by John f. Kramer, federal prohibition
commissioner.
with thousands of detectives at
work all over the country" said Kra-
mer, 1--WE plan drastic and quick meas
ures to make the law effective"
With the appointment of the ten de-
partment commissioners for prohibit
ton enforcement, the governments
machinery to be created under the
eighteenth amendment to the Consti-
tuition was practically completed.