Omaha daily bee., 1921-07-19
.Agrarians
.Ad V a nee
Norris Bill
Dry Senators Defeated in Ef.
fort to Rush Through Anti.
Beer Measure-Farmers'
Needs Come First.
Drys Target Of Sarcasm

Chicago Tribune Omaha bee Leased Wire.
Washington. July l8.-Thmsty
persons. pining away for beer, were
given new lease on life today when
the senate, by vote of AZ to IL, de-
cided to take up the Norris bill
creating $l00,OOO,000 government
corporation to export farm products.
This action automatically shelves
the Campbell-Willis bill forbidding
doctors to prescribe beer as medicine.
in accordance with the ruling of
Former Attorney General Mitchell
Palmer. 1t is probable, however,
that the respite will be short. The
present understanding is that the
anti-beer bill will be brought for
ward again as soon as the Norris
bill is out of the way.
The vote, nevertheless, indicates
that the senate does not regard the
Campbell-Willis bill as an emergency
measure as the drys have contended.
Some senators also regarded it as
sign that the senate has grown
less responsive to the demands of
the anti-saloon league, which is
clamoring for the immediate passage
of the measure.
Agrarians in Control.
The chief significance of the vote,
however. lies in the fact that the
so-called agrarian bloc, the bi-par-
tisan alliance of western and southern
senator's, were again able to control
the legislative program. The bloc"
wanted the Norris bill to take pre-
cedence over the anti-beer bill and
it won an easy victory, with the aid
of some of the "wet" senators.
Preceding the roll call was a live
1y debate, in which the merits of
beer as medicine versus government
aid to the farmers was discussed at
length. Senator Norris of Nebraska,
chairman of the agricultural commit
tee, himself an ardent dry" insisted
that the beer bill could wait, while
relief to the farmers must be fur
rished at once. Senator Broussard of
Louisiana, democrat, pointed out that
although Mr.. Palmer made his ruling
in favor of medicinal beer on March
3, the Treasury department had not
yet promulgated, rules for granting
prescription permits. Senator Sters
ling of South Dakota, who has
charge of the anti-beer bill, told the
senate it must act with the utmost
promptness, because the breweries
were demanding that the Treasury
department issue the beer rules.
Norris Raps Sterling.
Senator Norris pictured Senator
Sterling with his "little bill in one
hand and an empty beer bottle in the
other hand, insisting that the coun-
try hold its breath while congress
passes a law to prevent doctor
from prescribing glass Of beer for
a patient
Senator Stanley of Kentucky, face
tiously protested against the use of
such language in speaking Of such
solemn ISSUE"
II suppose it is lese majeste to
speak of bottle of beer that can't
find consumer this kind of wealth.
err" retorted Senator Norris.
Senator Willis of Ohio informed
the senate that unless it acted quick
ly "beer would be consumed in large
quantities not by the sick, but by
the healthy" He asserted that the
opposition to the bill did not come
from the fevered rooms of the SICK"
but from perfectly healthy fellows
with a strong thirst"
Senator Sterling asserted the de-
mand for passage of the anti-beer bill
was widespread. AS final convincing
proof of this. he read telegram
from Kentucky distillers urging its
passage. This provoked considerable
laughter, in view of the distillers'
ors' welfare.