The Birmingham age-herald., 1923-07-30
By ROY \. HAYNES |. :. Prohibition Commissioner

The author concludes today his
 review of conditions surround
 ing legitimate users of alcohol
 under the prohibition laws.
 Other phases of the permit sys-
 tenn were described on Friday
 and Saturday.
 There are classes of permittees who use alcohol for the relief of suffering ana disease, and the regu- lations regarding them vary slightly. Hospitals and sanitariums must com ply with permit regulations, but, ex- cept for those treating patients for the cure of alcoholism, are not not required to give bond.
 Police stations and first aid sta tions of various kinds. in order to obtain e permit, must show that a doctor or trained nurse IS in charge, and even then the use of potable liquors is not permitted
 Research workers in federal and state offices, in colleges and pri- vate laboratories are given permits, with such restrictions as are neces- sary, for using alcohol in their work.
 An entirely different class of le- Sitimate users consists of those who use wine in religious rites Many Protestant churches no longer hold to wine but use unfermeuted grape juice in communion services. None the less the demand for sacramental wine is legitimate use with which 1 the government must always be deeply concerned. Different as it is in conception from all other leS1tl- mate uses, it has this one thing In common with them: careful watch ing of the supply is constantly n.ces- sary In the presence of the ooot- legger, even the wine of the sanctu- ary is not safe. Sacramcntal Wine Users.
 Two instances are on record where church officials were convicted of diverting the holy wines entrusted to their care. Against one of these men, a California rabbi, who is also a grocer, an injunction was obtained, closing both his grocery and his resi- dence Because he had e large fam ily. he was permitted to reopen un- der heavy bond In Wisconsin an other was found guilty in five cases of bootlegging and sentenced to serve three months in jail on each count.
 Permits for sacramental wine are issued by state prohibition directors to ministers, priests, rabbis or other church or congregational officials , Approval by the commissioner is not [ required. but strict regulations must | De (tOmpIleu WILL. Y or ClluIttleS Hd ing a hierarchical form of organiza- ton. the head of the ecclesiastical the bishop of the diocese CT corresponding offl- i cial who is at the head of a terri torial association of churches-is re- quired to approve all applications of his clergy or to designate some other ! person to act in his stead. In the case of churches having con gregational form of organization, the | individual minister, priest. rabbi or ] other person authorized by the con gregatiCn to act in his stead, | makes application direct to the prohibition director. No ec- clesiastical approval is necessary ex- cept that the applicant must estab- 1 lish his identity as the representative ! of a church or rel igious congrega- tion.
 Instead of obtaining a permit to purchase wine. minister, priest, or rabbi, may secure a permit to manu- facture enough wine to supply the | ritualistic needs of his aggregation for one year. In that event he must operate the establishment as any ether bonded wine maker does. Wine manufactured in ritualistic wineries cannot be consumed on the premises but must be tax paid and removed to the church, synagogue, or homes of the congrega ton under regular permit system No such wine can be sold to any other congregation. | Wine In Jewish Homes. The larger part of ritualistic wine l is used. not in church services but in religious rites in the homes of the | members. In the main, these are Jewish homes. Not all Jews how requiring the use of wine and those l who do not observe such rites clearly are not entitled to take wine into | their homes. The responsibility, | therefore, is placed on the rabbi to i determine whether or net any par ticular family actually requires wine | for use in religious rites. The lar gest quantity of ritualistic wine that may go into a home is 10 gallons | a year.
 Cereal beverages, cider and vim eGar can be manufactured legally hibition commissioner and under bond.
 Although legal beer today con tains less than one-half of one per cent of alcohol. it is brewed exactly as intoxicating beer was brewed prior to prohibition. The excess alcohol is removed after brew ing, usually in one of two days. By one method the alcohol is con served. by the other it is wasted. Breweries conserving their alcohol must qualify as alcohol distilleries, and storek eeper gaugers are placed in charge of them. In breWeries where the alcohol is wasted either by going p in fumes or being di- luted with water and run into the sewer, the supervision is effective but less rigid.
 The cereal beverage product of these plants must be so treated that it must not contain in excess of one half of one per cent alcohol before removal for sale.
 No Lawful Beer With n "kick."
 There are no breweries in the United States legally manufacturing beer containing more than one-half of one per cent of alcohol. There is no such thing as medicinal beer. a law forbidding the prescribing of
 malt liquors.
 Cider and vinegar manufacturers
 must comply with practically the same permit and bond requirements imposed upon manufacturers of ce-
 real beverages. The alcohol content of cider to be sold and used as such may not exceed one half of one per cent. Cider, therefore, must be treated with an anti-ferment agent or put up in sealed containers to pre- vent fermentation. Cider to be used later in the manufacture of vinegar
 is not limited as to it's alcoholic con-
 tent, but it must be made into vine gar without removal from te plant or sold under permit to vinegar man. ufacturers.
 There is one other class of per mits-those involving export and