Evening star., 1932-05-23
HOUSE REJECTS
2.b BEER BILL
0'Connor.Hu|I Measure to
Levy Tax of 3 Cents a
Pint Defeated.
Continued From First Page.)

Continued From First Page.)
IN the world which does not utilize thu
, liquor traffic as a revenue producer
England, with one-third of our popula.
ton, derives nearly $700, 900 900 q yeal
from taxes on liquor. The chief item
| OF sales tax receipts In Canada Is made
cent OF the revenue OF the United State,
was derived from internal revenue i'm.
positions on liquor.
| from the country that we levy the taxes
| necessary to balance the budget, wha,
fairer, less Objectionable tax could be
imposed than that suggested In thil
bill?
Retails at 10 Cents . Bottle.
"The practically universal demant
that the saloon be forever abolished Il
answered by this bill. The saloon can
not exist without draft beer, which re-
quires bar and all its appurtenances
Under this bill the beer can only be sole
in bottles, not to be consumed on the
premises where sold except IL q regu.
larly established dining room OF hotel
restaurant or duly incorporated club
with each member paying annual due.
Of not less than $40. 1t is expected
that this beer will be sold in the chain
stores and other stores and should retail
at 10 cents pint bottle, including the
tax"
Representative william E. Hull Of
Illinois, co-author Of the bill, argued
that the legalization Of 2.75 per cent
beer would be a great benefit to farm
ers Of the country.
"If vnyI will laooli1o knnr Nv,
weight 1t will do more for the relief of
the grain farmer than anything tina.
has been proposed for his relief in the
last decade" said Mr.. Hull.
Il estimate that the legalization OF a
notwithstanding beer will eventually
create a market for 10000, 900 bushels
Of barley"
Representative Granfield, Democrat,
Of Massachusetts, also spoke in support
Of the beer bill He said:
This bill will write into the VOL
stead act sane, sensible and honest
definition OF Intoxicating beverages as
a substitute for the present dishonest
legal limit Of one-half of per cent,
which has been characterized repeatedly
as legislative lie. It will open up a
large source of revenue and replenish
an impoverished Federal Treasury at a
time when the taxpayers Of this coun-
try are Indignantly demanding release
from excessive taxes"
Representative Blanton Of Texas, an
ardent dry. made a point of order
against the vote on the ground that
1t affected the eighteenth amendment
and that the House has already turned
down motion to discharge a commit
tee from further consideration Of a
resolution proposing to resubmit the
eighteenth amendment.
OConnor declared the beer bill was
an entirely different proposition from
resubmission of the eighteenth
amendment. In this he was supported
by Representative La Guardia Of New
York and Representative Crisp Of
Georgia
Speaker Garner overruled Blanton's
point of order and debate on the motion
to bring the beer bill before the House
was Immediately begun with 10 minutes
on a side. But so many wet members
wished to be heard that Mr. O'Connor
parceled time out q minute or a half
a minute, or even quarter Of q minute
to individual members.
Crisp told the House the Ways and
Means Committee had no intention of
reporting out the bill until after the
eighteenth amendment has been re-
pealed or until the Volstead act has
been modified or repealed. He said that
when the revenue bill was before his
committee, Representative Cullen Of
New York had offered an amendment
to tax beer, and that the committee had
voted Is to against that amendment.
He pointed out that later, when the
revenue bill was before the House, a
beer amendment was offered, and de-
feated by teller vote on March IS,
216 to 1872.
Beck Opens Debate.
Representative Beck of Pennsylvania,
wet Republican, opened the debate, in
sisting that passage Of the bill was in
no sense a notification of the Consti-
tuition. in that 2.75 beer is not intoxi-
eating.
Representatives Britten Of Illinois,
Linthicum Of Maryland. La Guardia o.
New York, White Of Ohio, SABBATH of
Illinois, Howard Of Nebraska. Mcleod
Of Michigan and Black Of New York
all spoke in favor Of the beer bill
HIr. Blanton opened the debate for
the drys, reading to the House an
attack on alcohol and it's effect on the
human race by the late Bob" Ingersoll,
celebrated agnostic.
The strong feeling running through
the House on this wet and dry issue
made itself manifest during the debate,
with some Of the speakers interrupted
by applause and others by boos.
When the revenue bill, now before the
Senate, was in the House a beer amend
ment was offered and defeated on a
division, 216 to 1872. Earlier in the ses-
sion a motion to discharge the COM
mittee In charge of the eck-Linthicum
resolution to resubmit the eighteenth
amendment was beaten by a much mar
rover margin, 227 to 1877.
The signers Of the petition which
brought the beer bill to the House for
vote included II Democrats, 81 Repub-
licans and / Farmer-Labor member
The wet and dry issue cuts squarely
across party lines In the House as it
does out in the country today.
Recently in the Senate an amend
ment to the revenue bill to legalize 2.75
per cent beer was turned down by an
overwhelming vote, 81 to "A. The
amendment was offered by Senator
Tydings Of Maryland, who at the last
moment changed his vote from AVE"
to mo" so that he might later seek re.
consideration Of the vote by which the
amendment was defeated. Senator
Bingham Of Connecticut also has
drafted q beer amendment to the
revenue bill which he plans to offer,
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