The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1922-10-27

and distilleries paid income and ex.
cess profit tax Of s15,00o,O00. In 1921
the tax was so small that ii was neg.
ligible. The Vostead Act caused a
further loss in revenue of $l1,000.000
annually. in tax on alcoholic bever
ages imported from other countries
Now, there is still further loss and
II Is found wherever attempt is made
to enforce the Volstead Act. Last
year that expense was S7,500.O00, and
this year the Prohibition Bureau Is
asking Congress to appropriate $lO,.
100000 for the enforcement When
all the losses from taxes have been
assembled ana the expense OF enforce
ment added thereto II is found that
the cost OF Prohibition TO the FEEDER
Ial Government amounts TO over $33S,
100000, and this is about one-third
OF the annual interest on our public
debt. As yet nothing has been found
to make up the deficit caused by the
loss of this easily collected revenue
The loss must be paid by raising the
tax on something. and that means
that you. every individual in this aud
lence. must contribute his share, and
1t would seem that living under the
Volstead Act was far more expensive
than living under the laws we have
heretofore had governing the liquor
question.
We were told when the Volstrad
Act came into being that ii probably
would require two years to bring
about complete enforcement The
two years have passed and we are
really farther from enforcement than
we have ever been. Now advocates
of Volstead tell us II will take ten
years to bring about enforcement.
Let us see how rigid prohibition laws
have worked in some of the states.
Let us take Kansas. This state has
been dry by Constitutional Amend.
ment since 1SSl-a period of so years.
intoxicating liquors, even alcoholic
beverages. were unobtainable by law,
and these laws were rigidy and hon.
estly enforced. According to the
Prohibitionst. Kansas should have
been dry in 1891. What Is the result
Kansas Is virtually as wet as Massa,
chusetts, Maine, Georgia or Texas.
Anyone wanting alcoholic beverages,
whether beer. whlskey or hard cider
can get them in Kansas. just as he
can elsewhere. even In Vermont. and
ask you, how long are good Ameri-
can citizens going to submit To pro-
! hlbtory law that does not prohibit
but on the contrary increase intem,
perance? Under the Volstead Act
we have exchanged the bar.keepel
| for the boOtlegger Instead of max
ing the people more temperate We
have increased intemperance We
have increased crime. We have
failed to establish a higher standard
/ of sex morality and we have added
to instead of decreasing the number
in iails. lunatic and orphan asylums
alms-houses and reformatories We
have filed these beyond capacity, ant
in Vermont, even now, we must have
a larger states prison to take care o
the increased number of law vioa
tors
And. do YOU know. that one of th,
first bills to be introduced into the
forthcoming legislature will Great,
FIVE additional enforcement officers o
the Volstead law and that this vii
add to your tax expense at least $50
900 annually?
Senator Dillingham; talks about th'
Volstead law. He says the Supreme
Court would declare an amendmen
to the Volstead act unconstitutlona
uf that amendment permitted Sen pc
cent beer. How does he know this
Is he in possession of the mind of tn
Supreme Court? don't think Sc
Would Senator Dillingham; declar
that the Volstead law cannot b.
amended so that no alcoholic conten
can be part of beverage? Woul
he say that the one.half of one PEI
cent alcohol now permitted could no
be legislated out OF the law?
Now. don't let any one fool YOU int
. believing that the Volstead law car
q not be modified, amended or repealed
Don't let even Senator Dillinghar
fool you
Senator Dillingham; has made th
statement that should be sent I
Washington would not represen
/, Vermont. but that | would represen
j. the solid south. How does he kno'
thisg He would make me traito