The Birmingham age-herald., 1921-04-26
VOLSTEAD SEEKS ID PROHIBIT SALE
 OF BEER TOS|CK
Introduces Bill Which Would Also Make More Stringent Regulations Affecting Use
 of Wine as Medicine
By Associated Press

Washington. April 25.-As the first step of the fight in Congress to tighten up the Volstead prohibition enforcement law, bill designed to prohibit the sale of beer to the sick on doctors pre- scription was introduced in the House to- day by Chairman volstead of the judi ciary committee.
 The measure would not prohibit use of wine for medicinal purposes, but would make more specific and stringent the regulations affecting 1t,
 Frankly declaring there was no real necessity for beer as medicine, MT Vol stead announced that his bill described as supplemental to the national prohi- hition act was put forward at this time te meet the situation created by the opinion of former Attorney General Pal mer that beer and wine under the Vol stead act could be prescribed for the ailings
 In tentative regulations announced last week by Prohibition Commissioner Kra- mer. but which must await approval of David H. Blair the new commissioner Of internal revenue, an arbitrary limit of 45s gallons of beer and three gallons of wine was fixed as the maximum that ! might be prescribed by a physician at any one time MT. Palmer had ruled that the law fixed nc limit.
 WILL BE NO BEER
 Regardless of what Commissioner Blair may rule, MT. volstead indicated that the prohibition forces in the House were prepared to take the beer bull by the horns and let the world know that therc will be no beer. The bill will be re- feFred to MT. Volstead's committee Tor hearing and report. Members, opposed to any modification of the dry law, said tonight it probably would be reported te the House, substantially as drawn There were predictions from many dry quarters that it's passage was certain.
 After counting noses on the commit tee, MT. Volstead is strongly of the opin. ions he said, there will be no turn back on the question of prohibition. even in the face of cry from many sections that Congress give the proposed beer regulations for the sick tryout-
 After turning thumbs down on beer and putting extra safeguards around the medicinal use of wine, home made or 1m- ported, the new volstead bill would close the gate to importation of liquor and shut down distilleries until the present stock of about 100000 gallons now in Aonded warehouses had been exhausted.
 sOIStead declared there was no sense in allowing large quantities to be imported or manufactured while there was 50 much on hand
 OTHER RESTRICTIONS
 The bl also would impose certain ad- ditional restrictions on the manufacture Of alcoholic preparations 'masquerading' as medicine and tonics, which prohibi- tion leaders assert are drinkable. In support of this provision, Mr Voistead said the bootleg trade was being sup piled through withdrawals ostensibly for the manufacture of these products.
 Still another tightening up section would meet the demand from some quar- ters that the attorney general should have more direct share in the enforce ment of the law As explained by Mr, volstead, it requires that the attorney general shall have notice of all appls- cations for permits to sell or manufac- tare liquor or alcoholic medicine prep Rrations and that public notice of the a D. plication shall be posted so that the att Torney general or any person who may have Knowledge of any violations on the part of the applicant may object to the permit being granted
 Permits at present, MT. Volstead said, are granted without notice to the at torney general. and he has no oppor- tunity to object to their issuance The hill would give the attorney general power to cancel permits for the same reason that the commissioner of internal reveuue is authorized to cancel.