San Antonio light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1911-1993, 1926-04-28
STRONGER DRY
LAW BILL UP
IN SENATE
HcsIse Passes Measure With
Little Opposition After
Restricted Debate.

WASHINGTON, April 2s.-CP)-
After serving as a new vehicle for
expression Of wet and dry sentiment
in the House, the bill TO give legisla-
tive sanction to the reorganization of
the Treasury's enforcement agencies
has been added to the Senate's list
pending administration bills to make
prohibition more drastic.
The bill would raise the prohibition
unit and the customs service to the
status of bureaus headed By commits
sioners appointed by the Treasury Sec
rotary. These bureaus, with the coast
guard, would be grouped under the d.
rection Of a single assistant secretary
charged with supervision of prohibition
enforcement. The measure also car.
ries an amendment to place all except
the highest prohibition officials under
Civil Service regulations.
LITTLE OPPOSITION.
Wet members of the House offered
little opposition to the proposal and
il was passed after a sharply restrict
ed debate by vote of 196 to 4. BY
making enforcement more drastic,
some Of the vets held, it will make
the law more Objectionable and in this
way win more supporters for modifica-
tion. A number of amendments, in
Guiding one by Representative La
guardia, Progressive Socialist, New
York, to legalize 2.75 per cent beer,
were thrown out or defeated
Another Laguardia amendment
which was rejected on point Of order
was aimed at a condition disclosed
ate hearing by +. c. Baird, prohibition
administrator at Pittsburgh. who told
the committee that his $4,000 salary
as a railroad official had continued
after he took over that office. He had
subsequently been placed in charge of
reorganization of the Philadelphia dis
trict enforcement ministry.
ATTACKS DRYS.
LaGuardia charged the drys with
jectcd this amendment. This brought
retort from Representative Cramton,
Republican, Michigan. dry leader, that
he didn't care to be "lectured" by re-
cent converts TO prohibition or those
who are not converts at ALL" and he
contended that the amendment would
prevent enforcement officials from re-
ceiving such outside income as divi-
dends from investments.
Representative Hill, Republican,
Maryland, who holds similar rank
among the House VETS that Cramton
enjoys among the drys, held that the
bill WIS merely a scheme to raise en-
forcement salaries. .
SHARES VIEW.
This view was shared by Representa-
tive Garner, Texas, ranking Democrat
Of the Ways and Means committee,
who said that, while il would increase
neither arrests nor revenues, wheeler
Wayne i. Wheeler, general counsel
for the Anti-Saloon League) Cramton
and Andrews 1.-THE treasury's prohibit
ton chief are for it; so we are for
Il. even myself Hill also voted for
ihe bill.
New York will never submit TO
The kind Of prohibition the drys want,
Representative Oliver, Democrat OF
that state, asserted, adding that ~we
are going to win our fight for tenn
peranee."
Representative Lowrey, Democrat,
of Mississippi. contended that the wet
states eventually would submit, argu-
Ing that Christianity has advanced tol
; point where it will not again toler-
atc the saloon. His father fought for
states rights with the Confederate
n-ry. he recalled. but he felt that
inst as Christianity defeated human
slavery then, it would defeat the