Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1922-02-27
ALL. DEMANDS
Beer AND Wine
Be LOCALIZED
Volstead Act is Denounced
as "Social and Moral
Failure"
LAW BREEDS UNREST
Willing to Support Eighteenth Amend
ment But Asks For Reasonable In
depreciation of Provisions.

Washington, Feb. 27.-FolloWlnE
no the declaration of the America
Federation of Labor in convention a
Denver upon the subject of prohibt'
ton, the executive council OF the
American Federation of Labor yes
terday denounced the Volstead act a
social and moral failure, dan,
gerous breeder of discomfort and o.
contempt for all law"
The council speaks, it says, for un:
organized as we'll as for organized
workers, and its decision IS unanim,
ous-the Volstead Enforcement ac1
must be modified so as to promote the
manufacture and sale of beer ana
light wines. Before making this an
nouncement the executive council says
it made an exhaustive lnVestigatioH
of the effects of the Volstead act:
It announces as the result OF It's III,
yestiration the effects of the Volsteaa
act have been:
/. A general disregard of the
law among all classes OF peo-
ple, including those who made
the law. :.
2. Creation of thousands OF
moonshiners among both country
and city dwellers.
3. The creation of al army Oh
bootleggers. A..
4. An amazing increase in the
traffic in poisons and deadly con-
coctions and drugs.
5. An increased rate Of insanity
blindness and crime among the
users of these concoctlons ana
drugs.
aue to loss of employment by
workers in as industries directly
or indirectly connected with the
manufacture Of liquors.
Z. Increase in taxes OF city, !.
State and national governments
amounting to approximately one
thousand million dollars per year.
Continuing the report says: !.
Having in mind these results OF
the extreme Interpretation OF the PRO
hibition amendment contained IN the
Volstead act, as we'll as in the enorm--
Gus expense of the attempt to enforce
that unenforceable, legislation, 1t IS
our conclusion that the act IS an nj
.proper interpretation of the prohiDl--
ton amendment, that it is socia! ana
n moral failure. and that it is a dan.
gerous breeder of. discomfort and OF
contempt for all law.
Something of the economic effect
of the Volstead law may be seen oy
considering the fact that in 1913, ac-
cording to Government statistics, Sllo,
100000 worth of farm products were
consumed by breweries and that trans
portation of these products to the
manufacturer and thence to the con,
sumner necessitated the use OF l3o,ooo
railroad cars. In addition to this, brew
cries in operation in 1918 consumed
$4,000 carloads of coal. 1t must be
obvious that the total economic effect
of the destruction of this industry IS
tremendous.
1--WE do not protest against the
Eighteenth Amendment to the Constr
tuition which now is part of the
fundamental law of the land. We do
not protest against the principle es-
tablished by the Eighteenth Amend
ment. 1t is our contention that the
Eighteenth Amendment under rea-
sonable and proper legislative inter-
probation, would be beneficial to our
country and would have the support
Of the great majority of our people.
"The Eighteenth Amendment, how,
ever, under the present drastic and
unreasonable legislative lnterpreta-
tation, has destructive and 'deteraor-
ating effect:and influence IN every
direction y. :.
ave seek no violation of the Eight
eenth Amendment, but on the contrary
we declare for reasonable interpre-
tation of that amendment IN order
that the law may be enforceable and
enforced, and in order that the people
of our country may, not suffer from an
unjust and fanatical Interpretation OF
the Constitution.
I'VE urge, therefore, that all citizens
in every walk Of life demand from
their Representatives and Senators IN
Washington immediate relief from the
unwarranted restriction contained In
the Eolstead act, and we likewise sug-
gest to the citizenship of our coun-
try the wisdom and adviSability OF
bearing in mind the attitude toward
this issue of ofiiceholders and aSpirants
to Office in the coming elections in or
der that there may be restored to the
people the lawful use of wholesome
beer and light wines. which, under the
provisions of the Eighteenth Amend
ment. can, and should be, rightfully
declared mountaineering beverages"
Roanoke. Va.t-The city Commits
sion here voted to have an election for
q honl ;SSna Of 81 500 600 for tha