Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-02-01
HARRIS ACCEPTS
| new AMENDMENT
Democrats Would circum-
vent Melons Objection
to Dry Bill.
BY the Associated Press.


An amendment designed to circum-
vent objections of Secretary Mellon to
the $24.o00,000 prohibition fund in
crease has been prepared by House
Democrats on the conference commit
| tee considering the bill and it was &C
cepted today by Senator Harris, Demo-
crat, Georgia, author of the item for
| the increase.
Secretary Mellon had held that un-
der the Harris proposal which was
adopted by the Senate the $24, 600, 900
could be used by the President only
| for employment of field agents.
Representative Byrns, Democrat, Ten
neSsee, member of the House con-
ferees ON the legislation, has drafted
the amendment, which would permit
the President to use the money In any
way necessary for enforcement of the
prohibition and narcotic laws.
Twice the amended first deficiency
bill, carrying with it $4,000, 900 for pro-
llibition enforcement, has gone before
the House and twice 1t has been shunted
aside. Supporters of the fund have
sought direct vote on the amendment,
but after an extended argument yester-
day the measure today was on its way
to conference with the Senate.
A proposal designed to keep the bill
from conference was beaten in the
House, $40 to 14l, and this was taken as
a victory for those who believe, as Sec
rotary Mellon believes, that the $24,-
000, 900 would do more harm than good.
Party Ranks Broken.
While supporters of the $24, GOO, 900
ran far behind in the voting, they had
an opportunity to discuss the fund and
prohibition generally and in turn they
were answered by the opposition. Party
ranks were broken during the debate
and some vets and drys found them
selves in what could be considered en-
envy camps. FortyAfive Democrats joined
with 1874 Republicans in voting down the
proposal to keep the bill from confer
ence, and with them went the only So
| cialist in Congress, Berger of Wisconsin
Ten Republicans sided with 129 Demo-
Gratis in supporting the motion and they
had the aid of two Farmer-Labor men,
bers, Carss and Kvale of Minnesota.
The motion to send the bill to confer
ence carried without roll call.
During the debate yesterday there
were many charges and countercharges.
| Is an argument over prohibition In Con-
gress was accused of favoring wet in
| terests, and In turn he found defenders.
| Since most of those who want the
$24, 100000 left in the deficiency bill are
Democrats, Republicans said that the
| former were trying to re-estabiiSh them
selves with their constituents for sup
porting Gov. Smith in the presidential
campaign. The Democrats had an an
swer to this declaring that since the
President would have disposal OF
the $24,000.000 Republican drys
were in the position of refusing to trust
MFR. Hoover They also declared that
officials of the prohibition bureaus said
that more funds were needed to enforce
| the law.
Cramton Doubts Sincerity.
Cramton of Michigan, q Republican
| a dry leader, and one Of those who Is
against the dry fund, put the reasons for
| support Of 1t as four-foid and intimated
that he believed none of them was sin
cere. He said the amendment was de-
| signed to rehabilitate drys who had sup
| ported Gov. Smith: that 1t was intended
to embarrass the administration, to crit
icize Secretary Mellon and to restore
| Bishop James Cannon, jr., of the Meth
odist Episcopal Church South TO the
good graces Of his constituency"
| Most of the Democrats listened to this
In silence, but they cheered when Rep
resentative Byrns, Democrat, Tennessee,
said there had been testimony before the
| appropriations committee, of which he
Is member, that there was not enough
money for enforcement and that the
$24, 000, 600 was intended to help supply
the lack