Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-05-02
ACTION IS DELAYED
ON D. c. DRY LAW
URGED BY HOWELL
Senate Committee Holds
Third Hearing Without
Reaching a Vote.
WITNESS CRITICIZES
PROHIBITION AGENTS
Assails Them as Bunch Of Crooks"
With Exceptions-Early Deci-
sion Is Expected.

Members of the Senate District COM
mittee will be consulted by Chairman
Capper within the next few days az to
the action they wish to take on the
Howell local dry enforcement measure,
which was the subject of third hear
ing yesterday afternoon without reach
ing vote.
In the course Of yesterdays hearing
Rice Hooe, who told the committee ne
formerly was in the legal department Of
the prohibition unit, aSSailed prohibition
agents as "the biggest bunch Of crooks
I ever came in contact with in my life"
Later in the hearing he said there were
some high-class men in the service. Mr..
Hooe testified as representative Of the
Federal Dispensary-Tax Reduction
League, which advocates modification
of prohibition by establishing system
of Government control of the distribu-
ton Of liquor.
Amendments Discussed.
Several members of the Senate COM
mittee yesterday began discussing the
possibility of amending the search and
seizure provisions of the Howell bill,
which have led to most Of the Discus
sion of the measure. The bill as intro
duced would provide for issuing search
warrants for residences upon informa-
ton of the presence of a still or knowl-
edge that liquor had been taken to or
from the premises. Under the national
prohibition law evidence of sale u re-
quired to search a dwelling.
Senator Howell repeated at yester-
days hearing that his object Is to reach
bootleggers who use residence property
as sanctuaries in which to store sup
plies.
Senator Tydings, Democrat, Of Mary
land, who declared he was opposed to
placing on the District more drastic
dry law than Is applied outside the Dis
trict, said he would go with Senator
Howell in trying to correct the boot
logger situation, but did not want homes
generally subjected to possible search.
Senators Howell, Tydings and Rob-
sion, Republican, of Kentucky, discussed
various changes in the wording Of the
search-warrant section that would make
cision will await final committee action.
Blease Proposes Changes.
Senator Blease, Democrat, Of South
Carolina also offered several amend
ments to the bill yesterday and an
nounced that, with those changes, he
could be recorded In favor of the bill
Senator Blease would add q proviso to
the search-warrant section to the effect
that no such warrant could be issued
except on the affidavit Of q person
known as a reputable citizen, with a
penalty for any person making O false
affidavit. The South Carolinian offered
another amendment to make more
stringent the section which places q
penalty on owners of buildings who fail
to take "all reasonable measures" to
prevent use OF their property for pro-
hibition violations. This amendment
relates to the padlocking Of places where
liquor has been seized. He offered an
other amendment to the section deal.
ing with the odense Of drinking In
public places.
In discussing the section of the bin
which would confer prohibition enforce.
ment power on all local policemen, Sem
ator Tydings declared the police force
should be free to work on murders and
major crimes" He predicted that the
Howell bill would diminish police eff.
f1ciency and have q tendency to en-.
courage graft.
Howell Defends Measure.
Senator Howell defended his bill, con-
tending that washington needs o local
enforcement measure to correspond to
the State enforcement acts that SUD-
plement the Volstead law outside Of
Washington.
DR.. F. w. Buck and Mr.. Hooe, both
representing the Federal Dispensary.
Tax Reduction League, opposed the bill
as being too drastic.
Walter Denegre opposed the bill as
being unnecessary, contending the Vol
stead law contains sufficient teeth.
Albert Stabler supported the Howell
bill vigorously, declaring he favored o
law 80 strong there will be no question
about it." Mr.. Stabler praised the
benefits Of prohibition.
Committee action on the bill had
been expected yesterday, but a majority
OF the members were not present when