Evening star., 1921-06-03
HOUSE GETS BILL
TO BAN ALL BEER
New voIstead Measure Re-
ported With Request for
Quick Action.

The Volstead bill. designed to pre-
vent the use Of medical beer, agreed
upon by the House judiciary COM
mittee, was reported to the House
yesterday with request for its imme-
diate passage.
Prohibition leaders declared there
were votes enough to put it through
before the bureau Of internal revenue
tions by which beer could be prescrib-
ed for the ailing Under a ruling Of
former Attorney General Palmer.
Although the measure as q whole
would make the prohibition enforce
ment act more drastic. representatives
or the drug and fiavoring extract
trades won their fight against a sec
ton requiring the medicating or
denaturing Of alcohol. prior to its
withdrawal from warehouses and dis
tiiieries for manufacturing purposes.
These ana other trades declared such
restrictions would work a hardship on
legitimate industries, whose products
were not for drinking. = =.
Redraft Ii Introduced.
Chairman Volstead. by direction OF
the committee. introduced late We'd
nesday a redraft Of his bill, slightly
madined in some particulars The sec
tion prohibiting Importation and man
ufacture of liquor until the stocks
nov held under government super
vision have been materially reduced.
or exhausted. was retained. 90.
The redrafted measure, while plac-
ing certain restrictions around the use
OF wines in medicines, did not include
tne original provision, which would
nave outlawed wine as a medicine
along with beer. 1t provides. however,
Tor the limitation of alcohol with
drawals for medicines, and gives the
commissioner authority. If. he finds
That any preparation is being used az
q beverage. to require a change of
formula SO that 1t would be rendered
actually unfit for drinking.
Section Relating to Doctors.
The section relating 10 doctors,
winch was virtually rewritten, fol-
lows:
No physician shall prescribe nor
shall any person sell or furnish on
any prescription any vinous liquor
tnat contains more than "a per cent
OF alcohol by volume, nor shall any
one prescribe or sell or furnish on
any prescription more than ne-fourth h
OF one gallon OF vinous or any liquor
tnat contains more than one-half pint
or alcohol. for use by any person
within any period of ten days.
NO physician shall be furnished
with more than one hundred prescrip-
tlon blanks Tor use in any period of
ninety days. nor shall any physician
issue more than that number of pre-
scriptions within any such period un-
less on application. therefore he shall
make 1t clearly apparent to the COM
missioner that for some extraordi-
nary reason larger number is neces-
sary, whereupon the necessary addi-
tional blanks may be furnished him.
The bill also would extend the dry
law to Hawaii and the Virgin Islands
but not to the Philippines.
Not Held Medicine.
Chairman Eolstead. in a report deal
ing with his bill to supplement the
Nolstead act. declared it presented
only such essential legislation as was
deemed necessary in order to bring
about fair and honest enforcement
Of national prohibition. .- 90.
The report set forth that the chief
purpose of the bill was to prevent the
use of beer and wine as medicine
which would be permitted under an
opinion by former Attorney General
Palmer
The effect of that opinion" it add
ed. rs to take from the commis ssioner
OF internal revenue control of the per
mits and prescriptions and lodge that
control in those who would profit BY
their abuse. 1t is idle to argue now
whether that opinion is right OF
wrong. as it is considered binding on
the administration until it is set aside
by the courts
Declaring that evidence presented
10 the committee showed overwheIm-
ingiy that beer never had been recog-
nized as medicine. the report quoted
the attorney for the Anheuser-Busch
Company. Inc. to the effect that if
peer was permitted as medicine eli
would be impossible to enforce the
prohibition law"