The Washington herald., 1921-01-11
VOLSTEAD STICKS
BY GUNS in HOUSE
FIGHT ON DRY LAW
Comes to Defense When
Member Calls Prohibi-
tion Only Farce.

Enforcement of prohibition by the
Bureau of Internal Revenue was
characterized as "a farce" in a
speech on the floor OF the House
yesterday by william r. Wood, of
Indiana, chairman of the subcommit-
tee of the House Appropriations
Committee, having Jurisdiction over
the sum to be expended for this
purpose.
The speaker, as a friend of pro-
hibition," served notice on Andrew
J. Volstead, of Minnesota, that un-
less the House judiciary Committe.
provided legislation for transferring
the enforcement of the law to the
Department of Justice, the House
Appropriations Committee would
take this action.
Asks BIame-source,
My chief purpose in having this
work transferred to the Department
OF Justice is that it may be en-
forced Wood said, land that W..
may have some place where we may
lodge the responsibility for its en-
fOrcement. You cannot lodge it now
with the Internal Revenue Bureau.
Tor II says, We are doing everything
We can, and the Department Of JUS
tice is interfering with MS You
cannot lodge it with the Department
OF Justice because it says our re-
sponsibllity is divided and we are
hampered by those connected with
the Internal Revenue Bureau.
Folstead, in replying, admitted
that 1t was true that the law was
not enforced in some localities, but
he attributed this to the failure OF
ten states to enact additional legis-
lation for the purpose of enforcing
the law. In these States, he alleged,
the failure to enforce the law rests
largely with State officials who have
violated their oaths OF office"
Says Agents Useless.
Wood alleged that the country
was honeycOmbed with prohibition
enforcement agents who were use
less. He said that "it seems that
the more money We appropriate for
enforcement the less enforcement
we have" He said the Department
Of Justice could enforce the law at
half the present cost.
The fact Is that over 500, 900, 900
has been collected in the last year
on liquor. despite all claims to the
contrary. Volstead said, That
money has been collected and Is in
the Treasury. Besides that. 500
100000 has been levied as taxes for
violation of the law. 1t is true that
the enforcement of the Volstead act
has been more or less a failure, but
1t has been a failure in ten States
where We have no State law to en-
force prohibition. 1t is failure
there, in a large measure, but we
hope, at least during this winter,
those States will do something
toward passing laws for the pur-
pose Of enforcing it.
Now Collect Tax.
'If you put the enforcement of
the law into the hands of the At
torney General. what would YOU
have in those ten States? There are
100000 gallons Of liquor now be-
ing SOLD Though regular channels
each month for medicinal purpose.
That is subject to payment of a
tax of $2.2O a gallon"
Nolstead was interrupted several
times. He admitted that any man
who has the price can get all the
whisky he wants"
But let me tell you" he said,
there is no doubt in my mind that
the sentiment of this country Is
growing to this law, and some OF
the gentlemen who are sneering at
it now will find themselves way be-
hind the procession"