The herald and news. [volume] (Newberry S.C.) 1903-1937, 1921-04-29
ALBERT VOLSTEAD
AGAINST BEER
BILL INTRODUCED FOR STRICT
PROHIBITION
Author of Measue Sees No Real
Necessity for Beer as
Medicine

Washington, April 25.-As the first
step of the fight in congress to tight
en- up the Volstead prohibition en-
forcement law, bill designed to pro-
hibit the sale of beer to the sick on
a doctors prescription was introduced
in the house today by Chairman Vol
stead of the judiciary committee.
The measure. would not prohibit
use of wine for medical purposes, but
would make more specific and strin-
gent the regulations on this, subject.
= Declaring there was no real neces-
sity for beer as a medicine, Mr.. Vol
stead announced that his bill, de-
scribed fas supplemental to the ma
tional prohibition act, was put for
ward at this time to meet the situa-
ton created by the opinion OF former
Attorney General Palmer that beer
and wine, under the Volstead act,
could be prescribed for the ailiag:
In the tentative regulations an
nounced last week by Prohibition
Commission Kramer, which must wait
approval by David H. Blair, the new
commissioner of internal revenue, an
arbitrary limit Of 4 7-s gallons of
beer and three gallons of wines was
fixed as the maximum that might be
prescribed by physician at one time.
Mr.. Palmer had ruled that the law
fixed no limit.
Regardless of what Commissioner
Blair may rule, Mr.. Volstead indicat-
ed that the prohibition forces in the
house iwemspreRared TO take the beer
biII by tks horns sd lstthe world
know that there viii be no beer. The
bill will be referred to Mr.. Volstead's
committses1f hearing and report.
Members opposed to any modification
Of the dry law, said tonight it probab-
" would be reported to the house
Substantially as drawh. There were
predictions from many dry quarters
that it's passage was certain.
{ After counting noses on the COM
mittee Mr.. Volstead is strongly of the
opinion, he said, that there will be no
turn. back op the question of prohib-
ition, even in the face of a 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 medical use Of wine, home made
or imported, the new Volstead bill
would close the gates to Importation
of liquor and shut down distillerles
until the present stock of about 49,
100000 gallons in bonded warehouses
had been exhausted. Mr.. Volstead
declared there was no sense in allow
ing large quantities to be imported or
manufactured, while there was so
mucn OH MANU-.
The bill also would impose certain
additional restrictions en- the manu-
facture, Of alcoholic preparations
amasquerading" as medicine and ton
les, which prohibition leaders assert
are drinkable. In support OF this
provision, Mr.. Volstead said the boot
leg trade was being supplie3 through
Withdrawals ostensibly for the manu-
facture of these products.
Still another Tightening section
would meet the demand from some
quarters that the attorney general
should have more direct share in the
enforcement of the law. AS explained
by Mr.. Volstead, it requires that the
attorney general shall have notice of
all applications for permits to sell or
manufacture liquor or alcoholic medi-
cal preparations and that public no
tice shall be posted so that the attor-
ney general or any person who may
. have knowledge Of any violation on
the part of the applicant may object
to the permit being granted.
Permits at present, the judiciary
committee chairman said, are granted
without any notice to the attorney
general, and he has no opportunity
to object to the issuance. The bill
would give the attorney general pow
er to cancel permits for the same rea-
son that the commissioner of internal
revenue is authorized to cancel.
The Young Peoples Mission band