Evening star., 1922-12-08
TREASURY BILL
AMENDMENT LOSES
House Votes SO to 2, After
Bitter Wet.and-Dry
Contest.

The anti-prohibition forces stood
shoulder to shoulder. two strong, in
the House today and shook hands
amid strong applause as the House
voted down. 98 to 2. an amendment to
the Treasury bill offered by Rep
John Phillip Hill Of Mary
land. Representative Hill. seconded
by Representative George Holden
of Massachusetts, were
storm centers Of a bitter wet and dry
contest on the floor this afternoon.
Representative Hill offered an
amendment to prohibit publicity in
the prohibition unit or any other bu-
reau of the Treasury Department and
specifically mentioned publicity di-
rected by Sherman E. Cuneo. He
brought out again the story Of how
the Ku Klux Khan had cleaned up a
number of moonshiners and said that
by inference the publicity of the
unit placed that govern
ment agency behind the Ku K!ux
Klan. He argued that no government
spreading such propaganda
should be paid out of the federal
Treasury.
! When he demanded a "division' he
and Tinkham stood alone. Another
offered by Representative
Blanton Of Texas. is pending. which
provides that no salary shall be paid
any employe or official who shall will
fully refuse to enforce the prohibi-
tfon amendment
An old-time liquor fight-short, but
stormy-fiared UP in the House yes
terday during debate on the Treasury
bill.
Representative Magee. republican.
NnyH a~L - Al
which framed the bill. started the
row when he declared that defiance
of the Volstead law was SO preva-
lent as to threaten our institutions"
Representative Hill, republican
Maryland. a leader in the movement
for light wine and beer legislation,
brought 1t to a climax when he an
nounced what he proposed to offer
in the form of amendments when the
prohibition section was reached to-
day.
Meanwhile. friends of prohibition.
overwhelmingly in control. took one
shot after another at those who
sought to attack the law. and by par
liamentary methods cut short Mr..
Hills attempt to connect the pro-
hibitfon unit in friendly way with
the Ku klux Klan.
In urging Congress to give to the
states the right to say what aIco-
holic content would make wine and
beer Intoxicating. Mr.. Magee declared
age made from pure ingredients and
the restoration of wholesome re-
srect for the law
Declaring the liquor traffic had
thrived on misery until the people.
handling ii as IL it were a serpent.
ber+ democrat. Ktntnrky. shouted
to the House that he was getting tire
of the constant attacks on men VINO
are trying to see that the law was
obeyed.
so determined and vindic:ive is
the small minority that it stands out
in open defiance of the Constitution" :"
said Mr. Gilbert. adding that it was
backed by influential resources and
that members of the House gave aid
and comfort. Taking up the charge
that crimes against the United States
had increased since enactment of the
Volstead law. Mr. Gilbert asserted
barroom days and which were ham
died in the state courts had decreased
TO the point where many jails in
rural communities were empty.
Half Sa dozen members were on
their feet at once trying to break in
minutes to close general debate. pro-
ceeded to explain the nature of his
'In the first place." he shouted
above the hubbub. II shall propose
that the House strike out of the bill
tion units publicity bureau; that the
sums of from s135,000 to s150.000. as
shall not be spent here
after in open violation of the Vol
stead law for the purchase of boot
leg liquor to be used as evidence:
that none of the government appro-
priations shall be used to defray the
expenses of stump speakers sent over
the country by the prohibition COM
All the time Mr.. Hill was being
with questions as to
whether he was trying to tighten up
the Volstead act.
of the appropriation all funds" he
went on. for legal advisers, special
counsel to the prohibition unit on the
ground that its legal force does not
know how to construe the law which
exists today. Another amendment
shall be used by the commissioner for
propaganda purposes. in an attempt
to defeat members of Congress and
finally to transfer enforcement OF
from the Treasury to the
Department of Justice, where it be-
longs"
Mr.. Hill declared that anybody con-
nected with the government who
approves the ku Klux klan should
not receive government funds for law
enforcement" When forced to sit
down by expiration Of his time. Mr.
Hill was attempting to read an ex-
tract from a press bulletin by the
prohibition units publicity bureau.
which said that the federal prohibit
tion director of Arkansas had re-
ported that the Ku Klux Klan had
organized a campaign against moon
sinners" This. he said, was issued
last April and printed.
bill was taken up, item by item. The
word "alcohol." appearing in the list
of the Treasury's cleaning supplies,
tied the House up again. Representa-
tive Blantorf: democrat. Texas. con-
tending benzine was good enough.
wanted it substituted. but failed.
Then he tried to make it denatured
alcohol. and Mr.. Hill insisted it should
read "non-beverage alcohol" Both
were formally put to a vote
and thrown out.
Representative London, socialist,
New York. enlivened the debate.
"I never took drink in my life
unless l wanted It," he said, and the
House roared.
Getting about half way through the
bill. the House had reached the sec
tion relating to the bureau of in
ternal revenue. with the prohibition
when it quit work for
the day.
only one change was made. On a
point of order by Representative
Blanton that it was not authorized
vision for undersecretary of the
Treasury, at a salary of $500. Mr..