Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1927-02-23
MEDICINAL LIQUOR
BILL NEARING GOAL
House Expected to Pass Sub
stiiute for Administration
Measure Tomorrow.

Passage tomorrow of the HaWley
medicinal liquor bill, urged by the
ways and means committee, is conn
IDENTIFY expected as a result OF the
overwhelming vote by which the
House late yesterday adopted spe-
rial rule for immediate consideration
of this measure, which is a SUBSTITUTE
for the administration proposal. 1t
would authorize the Secretary of the
Treasury to issue permits for manu-
facture of whisky for the sick and is
nut forward as a prohibition enforce
ment measure.
Party lines were disregarded, and
even the usual wet and dry lineup
was broken during three hours debate
in the House yesterday. Some OF the
strictest prohibitionists fought the bill,
as did. also, some half dozen members
who are the strongest advocates OF
modification. 1t was contended by
some that such a law would grant
monopoly to from two to SIX distli-
lerfes. Others argued that Secretary
Mellon is wet" and that this measure
would give him sole control, thus put
ting "liouor production entirely in the
hands of VETS
Rlanton Attacks the Bill.
Among the drys who attacked the
bill was Representative Blanton, Demo
crat. Texas. who contended it would
place the medicinal liquor business of
The country under the control of Sec
rotary Mellon.
II would have a dry supervise the
manufacture of medicinal whisky,
said Blanton. mot a wet, and not MIR.
Mellon. who is the prince of vets.
Necessity for replenishing medicinal
LIQUOR stocks was explained by Repre-
sentative Hawley, Republican, Oregon.
who said the present supply would
last only four and a half years.
Need for the proposed legislation,
however. was doubted by Representa-
tive Carew, Democrat, New York, who
said he was opposed to the bill be-
cause he believed the Government
could restock the liquor supply with
ont it's enactment.
THE bill will aggravate the rot
tenness which has crept into enforce
nlent of prohibition" Carew said.
Suspects Interior Motive.
sRepresentative O'Connor, Democrat.
New York, declared the mere fact that
the measure had divided both vets
and drys makes one wonder what
Interior motive is behind it, while
Representative w. Z. Hull, former
Peoria, H., distiller. said that while
the bill was fair, 80 far as it went, .
he believed it did not protect the pub
lie from being overcharged for medici-
nal spirits.
Representative Garner of Texas.
ranking Democrat on the ways and
means committee, attacked the admin
istration's liquor bill and declared the
substitute had no chance to pass the
Senate if approved by the House.
Senate Shows Activity.
While House debate on the medici-
nal whisky bill was getting under
way, an undercover campaign was be-
ing waged in the Senate between Sem
ators Smoot, Utah, a Republican dry,
and Edwards, New Jersey. Demo
cratic wet.
Mr.. Smoot was seeking signatures
to a cloture petition to limit debate on
the administration prohibition reor-
ganization bill, while Mr.. Edwards
was trying to keep Senators from
agreeing to cloture.
The medicinal bill, Edwards de-
clared, would permit Secretary Mellon
TO control manufacture and corner
the market"