The Washington times., 1932-12-20
6HOURS DEBATE
UNDER WAY IN
HOUSE TO-DAY
Galleries damned As Rep.
Rainey Opens Argument
! t for Passage

beer "is no more intoxicating than
cup of coffee or a cigar"
Representative Rainey began
by citing the Ways and Means
Committee report that Federal
taxes may ultimately reach $780,.
100000 q year from beer. He
continued;
Seer was first advocated in
the United States by Thomas
Jefferson. On his return from
France he urged the making
Of beer to lessen the cOnsump-
ton of hard liquor. Beer
making began in 1885 and IL
was not taxed for 20 years"
= RubiOus of Revenue
Rainey admitted that revenue
from 81 per cent beer would be
restricted because Of the limited
number OF States in which beer
can be sold. He added:
at win require q broadening
of the market before 3O,OOO,OOO
barrels can be. sold each year."
Representative Dyer (R) Of
Missouri interrupted with a de-
mand for order when members,
who have listened to wet ana dry
debates for years, kept up a buzz
Of conversation.
Rainey cited an apparent con
flict between a provision Of the
bill protecting dry States against
interstate shipment Of beer and
the fact that the beverage is
urged by the Ways and Means
Committee as Misunderstanding
He said:
1--WE regard the beer as nom
intoxicating, but some States
do not and we provide for pro-
lection Of their expressed will"
At this point Senator Borah
(R.) of Idaho, Senate dry leader
and Senator McNary (R.) of Ore
gor1, assistant Republican leader
in the Senate, came in to- hear the
debate.
SucAl 1uqulSltAVS
Partisan politics was injected
into the debate almost immedi
ately. Before Rainey finished
Representative Smell (RO, minor
tty floor leader, asked him If pub
liShed reports that this would be
the only revenue bill this session
were true. Rainey indicated that
the door was not closed to other
revenue measures.
Smell observed:
"The Democratic platform is
Just aS definite as the Republi.
can one in promising balancing
Of the budget. Is the gentle
man going to balance the bud
get before the end Of this
session."
Rainey answered:
1--WE are not in control Of
the Senate nor have we control
Of the AdminiStratiOn-at this
session. We are going to do
our part to balance It. This
bill, with the economies that
are planned, should go far
toward that end"
Representative Crowther (R0
Of New York, the first speaker,
opposing the bill, ridiculed II
from all angles and drew ap
plause from the drys.
He said no one knows what
revenue will be produced but it
Is likely to be from $4,000, 900 to
$75,O00,000 a year. Representa-
tive Celler CD of New York,
interjected:
you must remember that
you are taking q pre-pr0hibi.
tiOn basis. We have an in
crease in foreign population
which would boost cOnsump-
tiOn. II
Quotes Authority
"T1l grant thst-the gentle.
men is an authority on liquor"
replied Crowther as the dryS
laughed.
II venture to predict" CON.
tinued CrOwther, ''that as .
budget balancing measure this
will be the most disappointing
project we have ever embarked
upon"
He said competent witnesses
testified that 80 per cent beel
is intoxicating In fact. He
quoted Prof. Walter r. Miles, o.
Yale, as saying experiment;
showed that a mild quantity o.
2.75 per cent beer slowed dowr
an automobile drivers reactions
two-fifth Of a second.
"That means . driver. going
so miles an hour would be 50
feet slower making up his
mind-enOugh to send you to
heaven or hell, wherever you
are headed" said CrOwther,
and the House again chuckled.
He said brewers and diStiller
combined before the war useC
only three-quarterS Of one pc
cent of the grain of the country
He added:
".As a mortgage lifting bever-
age this is going to be q keen
disappointment to the farmer"
Crowther, got most applaus,
from the. drys when he declared
''You can't legalize been within
the Eighteenth Amendments