Evening star., 1932-12-23
BY G.. GOULD LINCOLN

BY G. GOULD LINCOLN.
The Senate, by a vote of 4s to "a
today declined to take up the beer bill
Tor immediate consideration.
Senator Bingham of Connecticut
MADE the motion during the morning
nour. Earlier the Democrats of the
senate, in party caucus, decided not to
support the Bingham motion. although
several wet Democratic Senators re.
talned the right to vote for the motion.
senator Bingham has on the calen-
oar Two beer bills, reported adversely
from tne committee on Manufactures.
ms motlon was to take up one of these
Dllls, and ne announced that if il were
taken up he would move to substitute
the major portion of the House beer
Dill recently passed. authorizing the
manufacture and sale of 80 per cent
beer
Robinson Objects.
When Senator Bingham made his
motion to take up the beer bill, Senator
Robinson Of Arkansas. Democratic
leader OF the Senate, obtained unan-
lmouS consent to make a statement.
Ihis was necessary because a motion
10 take up bill in the morning hour
Is not subject to debate.
Does the Senator from Connecticut.
began Robinson, expect to have the
beer bill disposed of now?"
Senator Bingham replied he hoped
the measure might be disposed of, and
Senator Robinson continued:
Just a day or two ago the House
passed a beer bill imposing a tax on
the manufacture Of beer and increas-
ing the alcoholic content permitted in
beer. BY action Of the Senate this
measure was referred to the judiciary
Committee. That committee Is ex-
pected to make prompt report
There is no disposition on the part
OF any one for whom I speak to delav
disposition Of this measure. However.
the legal question involved should be
passed upon by the committee. If the
senator persists in making his motion
l shall vote first against taking the
bill up for consideration, and il his
motion should prevail ! shall move to
commit the bill TO the Judiciary Com
mittee."
Senator Bingham, also having OBJ
tanned consent to make q statement
said:
When the House passed the Collier
bill, hoped that there would be early
consideration and prompt action on q
beer bill. understand it is the pur-
pose to refer the bill to two commit
tees, first the Judiciary Committee and
then the Committee on Finance. Un.
doubtedly this course would lead to con-
make 1t impossible to get action during
the short session of this Congress.
Cites Request to Norris.
Il do not desire to make any re-
marks derogatory to any committee. es-
specially to the Judiciary Committee
However, year ago, expressed a wish
to the chairman of the Judiciary Com
mittee, Senator Norris, that hearings
should be held on my resolution pro-
posing repeal Of the eighteenth amend
ment, and OIL similar resolutions. The
chairman courteously replied that he
would refer the measures to subcom-
mlttee and that subcommittee was ap-
pointed. No hearings were held by that
subcommittee until April four months
later
Now the Judiciary Committee has
had resolutions before it proposing re-
peal Of the eighteenth amendment and
mas never reported any of them out.
The subcommittee to consider my reso-
iut1on and others was composed of two
wet Senators and three who have been
considered dry. The drys did not at.
tend meetings of the subcommittee and
it was impossible to get a quorum, so
the subcommittee made no report and
none has yet been made Is 1t strange.
under the circumstances, that should
want to get action on this beer bill
now?
The House has acted with extraor-
d1nary promptness on this beer bill.
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