Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1922-02-23
BEER TAX BEING
TALKED To PAY
SOLDIER BONUS
BY DAVID LAWRENCE
(Leased Wire Service to The Journal.)
(COpyrirht 1927

| (C0pyrlght, 1871
WASHINGTON, Feb. 22.-Boot-
Logging or bonus. That's the ques-
ton. which now is being PROFOUND
ed here
Shall the government put tax on
light wines and beer, or even on beer
only and get more than enough
money with which to pay the soldier
bonus or shall the bootlegger con-
| tinue to get enormous profits which
the government is unable to reach Ell
| Their through the income tax or
through prohibition enforcement?
In desperation, congress is seek
ing a method to raise $3.50 100000 a
year to pay a soldier bonus. Prac-
| tically every new method of taxation
suggested has enough foes to pre-
vent adoption by both houses of con-
gress. The bond issue has been re-
| jected by President Harding, the re-
ViVal of the excess profits tax and
nuisance taxes also have been
| tabooed by Mr.. Harding. And now
| the agricultural bloc IS fighting the
sales tax on the ground that it will
lIlCISdSS lIlS COSI Ol l1N1HS " SNSl y
body.
No Objection From Legion
In these circumstances, asks Rep
resentative John Phillips Hill, of
| Maryland, author of a bill to tax
light wines and beer, why not gather
in at least 100000, 600 a year by
such tax and have more than
enough to pay the soldier bonus?
S'ThP American I,aoinn has oh
lection to any method that may be
prepared for raising revenue" Saiu
John Thomas Taylor, chairman OF
the national legislative committee of
the American Legion, who is con
Quoting the fight for the bonus. 1--WE
believe the senate and house com
mittees are sufficiently competent to
find ways to finance the bonus"
Speaking of the amounts which
could be raised by taxing light wines
and beer, Representative Hill told
this correspondent today that taking
the figures Of 1914 on beer alone, and
imposing a tax of twenty cents a
gallon, the total amount that would
be raised would be $4O8 100000.
Figures Confirmed
If that was the consumption of
beer in the face of competition with
| distilled spirits, how much more beer
would be consumed if distilled spirits
are absolutely prohibited? At least
S2Q0,O0O,OOO more taxes would be
available answers Mr.. Hill. This
grand total of $608, 200, 900 that might
be available out of beer taxes is con-
11rmed by treasury department eX-
pertS.
Most officials have no doubt that
they could raise at least $500, 000, DOC
q year this way. Whether or not
light wines should be included and
tax of forty cents per gallon put
on the latter is not altogether as
easy problem to settle as the Deer
question. The trouble IS that the
alcoholic content of light wines
would have to be reduced to a point
Which would make them 'non-in-
toXicating" within the meaning of
the constitutional amendment.
The advocates of the beer tax,
however, approach the subject from
the viewpoint of conformity with
the eighteenth amendment. The con
stltution forbids the manufacture of
Intoxicating beverages"
Congress May Amend
. Inc supreme court of the United
States ha decid that congress has
the. power to determine what per
cent OF alcohol LAY be included i'll
a beverage without making it in
toXlcating. The Volste;,d law saws
IL OF 1 per cent shall be the limit,
though most members of congress
! will almit that if the alcoholic con-
tent were increased to 2 or even
81 per cent, the beverage still
would be Notwithstanding
10 get money enough to pay the
soldier bonus it would require a sim
pie resolution of congress of about
flfty words amending the Volstead
act so as to permit 2.75 per cent
peer and the revenue laws also could
be amended as to put tax of 20
cents per gallon on the beverage.
The whole thing would be a sim
pie procedure if the prohibition
forces did not have as tight a hold
on members of congress as to cause
the latter to hesitate. But the dan
ger punishment by an aroused
soldier vote is not easily swept aside
either.
And many of the soldiers are as
resentful about the passage of a
prohibitio amendment to the con.
stitution while they were absent in
France as they are about any sin
6, thing which congress has done
To pay the soldiers a bonus and
give them at the same time a bever-
age of Notwithstanding alcoholic
content admittedly would be a So
luton devoutly to be wished for, DO
litically speaking, if it were not for
the potential power of the anti-beer
forces who have in the past beer
strong enough to compel congress to
deny beer to the sick as we'll as the
healthy.
Whether the anti-beer elements
could win in a fight against the sol
der bonus influence is quite another
story, the answer to which can only
be given after soldier opinion ha
expressed itself directly to congress.