The Concordia sentinel. (Vidalia, Concordia Parish, La.) 1882-current, 1921-08-20
ASKS REFORM IN
DRY LAW POLICIES
PRESIDENT INSISTS WASTE IN
STORAGE OF LIQUOR BE
MINATED.
8OOTLEGGERS MAKE MILLIONS
Opposition to Heavy Expenditures IN
Enforcement Announced by Hard
Ing After General Meeting of
Cabinet-Use for Alcohol.

WashingtOn.-The government 70
suffering from an embarra sSment Of
riches, the riches comprising hundreds
of thousands of gallons of liquors, and
the embarrassment arising from the
heavy rentals the government is
obliged TO pay for the storage of These
wet goods
This situation formed a subject OF
discussion at a meeting of the cabinet
with President Harding taking the pO-
sition that it should be remedied. On
account of the Presidents consistent
insistence upon economy in the admin
istratiOn of public affairs he thOught
-thatthe government was wasting mon
ey In paying these heavy rentals. To
his way of thinking. a practical meth
cd should he devised to relieve the
government of drain upon its re-
sources from which it obtained no
benSft.
The discussion had to do mainly
With the enforcement of the prohibit
ton law and it brought out a general
opinion in the cabinet that this was
causing a heavy drain on the treasury
at time when the government needed
all the money it could scrape together
and when fhe people were feeling the
burden of federal taxation. One of the
statements. made at the White House
after the cabinet meeting was that the
President was opposed to an absurd
policy in carrying out the provisions OF.
the VolStead act and the inference was
plain that he believed it was the height
of absurdty for the government TO
penalize itself by paying great amounts
for the storage; of wines, liquors and
beers upon which it could not realize
penny.
Attorney General 'Daugherty brought
up the matter of inquiring what be-
came of the millions of gallons of spir-
its which the government had seized.
In the course of the discussion it was
suggested that some practical method
should be devised of disposing of all
the wet goods in storage and thus re-
lieve the government of paying stor-
age rentals. One idea advanced was
that the alcohol contained In these
spirits should be drawn off and en-
plOyed in useful way. President
Harding finally gave instructions that
the proper government office should
devise plan Of getting rid of this
expensive white elephant.
While the details of the discussion
gnA
That 1t took aIwide range. There was
explanation of the controversy over
the shipment of intoxicants in bond
through the United States from Cam
ada to Mexico. As this phase of the
prohibition law is now before tha
courts the discussion concerning it was
largely academic.
Members of the cabinet were con-
cerned over the prohibition enforce
ment situation. which, they feared,
that millions Of gallons of liquor are
surd position unless some action. was
taken such as is contemplated with re-
spect to the heavy rentals paid for
the storage Of liquors. The bootleg
ging industry Is prospecting at an enor-
nous rate, with it's profits running up
into the millions Of dollars.
1t was estimated that the receipts
Of bOotleggers are In the neighborhOOd
Of $500,000,000 annually. This means
tha tmillions of gallons Of liquor are
being sold in the United States, in
spite of the expenditures Of the gov
to stop illicit traffic In LIQUORS.