The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1932-03-25
GIVE Us BEER,'
CRY AS SALES
TAX IS BEATEN
LOCALIZED Brew to Bring
$50 Millions Into u. S.
Treasury Is Goal.
BALLOT TO BE FORCED
Manufactures Levy Defeat
Viewed Great Victory
for Poor.
BY MARSHALL M'NEILL
Times STAFF Writer

WASHINGTON, March 25.-Anti.
prohibitionists sought a house vot,
today on tax on beer to add hun
dreds of millions of dollars to the
depleted treasury, as a substitute
for the sales tax decisively rejected
253 to 1853 in a revolt against the
house leaders Thursday.
Before nightfall the vets expec
to force vote on the Cullen amend
ment to the Democratic tax bill
legalizing beer of 2.75 per cent al
cohol by weight, and taxing it at ;
rate calculated to bring in $3.50,
100000 a year.
Defeat Of the amendment is pre-
dicted if the vote is obtained, bu
not until its proponents have an OPP
portunity to reiterate that it pro
vides an unparalleled opportunit.
for congress to obtain fiscal relic
and help balance the budget.
Acceptable to Payers
Chairman j. Charles Linthicum o
the house unofficial wet bloc, in {
statement called on congress tx
turn it's attention to "a tax which
will be acceptable to those wh'
pay it"
A beer legalization and taxing
amendment, he said, will enable
us to eliminate bootlegging, hijack
ing and the deficit at the same
time"
"Legalizing 2.75 per cent beer viii
mean that the people will be drink
ing something palatable instead Of
bootleg booze now consumed" hi
said. Moreover, it will remove the
necessity of imposing high taxes OF
automobiles and radios and othel
Injuries, of taxing admissions tx
amusement places, and the man!
other nuisance taxes which nov
threaten.
Others Not Sanguine
zone hundred eighty-seven mem
resolution. I am confident that
every one of those, and many more
will vote for the beer amendment
l trust it will be adopted"
Other vets were not Sanguine Of
success, but Representative Frank
Oliver Dem., N. ", threw this
promise at the normally dry ma
iority:
Give us beer, and We'll drink ur
the deficit"
"In the present bill the commit
tee officially has recognized the
existence of bootlegging," said Rep
resentative Thomas N. Cutler
dem, N. W, in his report on his
amendment, by providing for ta1
on malt syrup used in man
ufacture of illegal beer by imposing
a tax. The federal government
thereby undertakes to tax an illega
business"
HonOrably Raise IL
BY taxing the illegal business
we raise approximately $4,000,
900 81. by making the same illegal
business legal (by enacting the beer
tax we can honorably and morally
raise $3.50 100000"
The house just after 3 p. m
Thursday. with a great shout and
vote of 223 to 1853, struck from the
Democratic revenue bill the sales
tax provisions.
Victory for the Poor
The tragedy of personal defeat
for the leaders of both parties was
intermingled with the exultation OF
victory for persons of modest means
and the poor, as the house voted
With the sales tax removed, anC
the higher income of the rich, anc
inheritance taxes written in, the
treasury figures the bill as it now
stands will raise $527 100000.
A subcommittee from the rank
and file of the house ways and
means committee was appointed to-
day to work out a plan of taxa
ton to be substituted for the sales
tax, now eliminated from the bill
lion dollar revenue bill.
To Report Monday
appointment of the subcommit-
tee was announced by acting chair
man Charles R. Crisp Dem., Ga.)
He said he expected it to report
Monday with a budget balancing
program.
The beer tax amendment is be-
ing advanced Independently.
Crisp did not name himself or
Democratic Floor Leader Henry
Rainey on the committee. Neither
did he give any recognition to Rep
resentative Robert L. Doughton
Dems N. c., who led the insurrec-
ton against the sales tax.
Crisp selected Representative
Heartsell Rogan dem, Ark as
chairman and representatives Fred
Vinson (Dem.. Ky) and Harry c.
Garfield Dem, INDY as majority
members. The Republicans sug-
gested their two tax leaders, Rep
resentatives Willis c. Hawley lore
and Allen T. Treadway tMaSs.), and
Crisp accepted them.
All members of the Subcommit-
tee favored the sales tax, but they
were not closely associated with the
Garner-Rainey-Cr Crisp leadership in
advocating it on the floor.