Evening star., 1927-09-28
Lack of Funds Retards PIaC'
ing of Bureau on Civil
Service Basis.
NEARLY 10000 APPLY
FOR $500 POSITIONS
Vets and Drys in Congress Pre-
pare for Fight Over Tighten
ing Enforcement.

BY the Associated Press.
Reorganization of the prohibition
bureau on a civil service basis, au-
thorized by Congress to take effect
Saturday, will not be begun before
announced today by Assistant Secre-
tary Lowman. in charge of dry law
enforcement
The Civil Service Commission, he
explained, has been handicapped by
lack of funds and unable to complete
examinations as rapidly as had been
expected.
1t has informed the Treasury that
the list of eligibes for the positions of
assistant and deputy prohibition COM
missioners and for the % district ad-
ministrators would not be certified by
the commission for a month or six
weeks. The rank and file OF the en-
forcement service is not expected to
he filled with civil service appointees
for several months.
Changes Here Unlikely.
While several changes in personnel
among the administrators are looked
for as the outcome of the examina
tiOns, the administrative officials sta
toned in Washington are not expected
to ne affected.
Examinations for the positions of
administrators are nearing completion,
but those for the agents, clerks and
other employees have not got under
way.
Undesirable and inefficient agents
are being gradually weeded out of the
service, Lowman said. predicting that
considerably more than a ma jority of
the present agents, if successful iW
passing the examinations, would re-
tain their posts.
There are nearly 10000 applicants
for the $500 positions in the bureau.
Fight Looms in Congress.
Vets and drys meanwhile are lining
up their forces for a resumption of
their annual warfare in Congress.
Neither side made any material
progress in the way OF legislation at
the last session, but the drys are hope
full Of getting through some OF the
administration proposals in the old
Goff bill for tightening up the Volstead
act.
Conceding that the drys have pre-.
ponderance of the votes in both the
House and Senate. the vets say there
is no parliamentary method by when
they can delay decision, as the first
session Of the new Congress Will con-
tinue for FIVE or six months, probably
until Just before the Republican
iun
However, proponents of additional
dry legislation incline to the view now
that with a presidential campaign in
the offing the party leaders will not
look with any great favor on enact
ment of more stringent provisions to
a law which the vets now charge IS
impossible Of enforcement.
Issue In 1928 Expected.
While the prohibition issue is
non bipartisan one SO far as Congress
itself is concerned, it is in national
politics more SO at present than per-
haps ever before, and party leaders
see little prospect Of 1T being removed
in advance Of the 1928 presidential
election unless it should be that both
of the major parties nominated candi-
dates pronouncedly dry.
Just what provisions Of the Con act
will be selected by the drys as their
battle points in the new Congress re.
mains to be determined, but during
the last session emphasis was placed
upon those proposals for revocation OF
liquor permits, for search OF dwellings,
suspected of having been converted
into commercial distilling places and
for stricter regulation of breWeries.
Whatever bill Is introduced on be.
half Of the drys will have to go
through the usual process Of commit
tee consideration, with public or prl-
vate hearings. Since the Golf bill was
favorably reported by the Senate ju'
dietary committee there has been a
complete change in high prohibition
enforcement officials and naturally the
views of the new officials would be
sought by congressional committees
before legislation was reported to
either house.
At any hearings held the Anti.Sa.
loon League will be represented by +.
Scott Mcbride. new legislative super
intendent of the Anti-SaloOn League.
selected temporarily, at least. to carry
on the work which the late Wayne B.
Wheeler looked after for many years
both in committee and the halls of
Congress.
Vets to Have Program.
While the vets have not yet formu
lated their program, it is certain that
they will come forward again with
amendments to the Volstead act, leav-
ing to the courts what Is, in fact. in
toxicating beverage, thus removing
the one.half OF 1 per cent restriction
of the law. In other words, thye would
extend to all beverages the provision
governing cider and fruit juices.
Another proposal they will press Is
that removing the restriction on the
amount of spirits physician may
prescribe for patients. This measure
is in line with one indorsed by the
American Medical Association.
Whether the vets will press for a
national referendum on the questions
Of repeating the eighteenth amend
ment and modifying the Volstead act
has not yet been determined. But
neither these nor any of the other wet
proposals have any chance of getting
anywhere in the next Congress, which