Evening star., 1932-03-08

manufacture and sale Of 275 per cent
beer, which will enable a tremendous
sum to be raised, thereby reducing, II
adopted. the heavy burden imposed by
the bill as reported by the committee
Would Benefit All States.
without referring to any other
argument in favor of the change In
existing prohibition laws, it IS difficult
for us to understand why there should
be any opposition to any such pro-
posals. particularly at this time when
the revenue derived therefrom will op-
crate as a relief and assistance to
every person and industry in the
United States
ut is impossible for us to understand
whether people of States that adopted
prohibition should object to such pro-
DCsal when the revenue raised viii come
--.olly from those States whose people
look at this question from a more lib
eral viewpoint This is particularly sc
when paid into the Treasury it will bf
used for the benefit of all the States oi
the Union"
The minority report said the Ways
and Means Committee has recognized
officially the existence Of bootlegging BY
providing for tax on malt sirup, used
in the manufacture of illegal beer. OF
35 cents per gallon, estimated to raise
SIS 600 900.
The report added that the bill also
recognized bootlegging by levying a tax
on wort, which, with the use of yeast,
becomes illegal beer, estimated to raise
$34, 900 900, and also by tax of 40 per
cent advalorum on concentrated grape
juice, which easily ferments into wine
by taking the Illegal business" said
the report, I'VE raise approximately
$50 900 900; by making the same illegal
business legal. we can honorably and
morally raise $3.50, 100000"
The signerS of the minority report
pointed to the large number of unem-
ployed in this country and urged that
the legalizing Of 275 per cent beer
would give work to great many who
are now without jobs. They pointed
too. to the excise taxes and the manu-
facturers' sales tax levied in the bill
part of which could be eliminated il
the beer tax were imposed. For ex-
| ample, they said:
Other Benefits Enumerated.
''The adoption of the proposed
amendment would enable us to reduce
the amusement tax, the tax on teie-
phones and other messages, exempt
medicines, clothing, cereals, processed
foods and still enable us to reduce the
manufacturers excise tax to about l y
per cent instead of the recommended
rate of pa per cent"
There are now II States which have
no laws against the manufacture ano
sale of beer, or which have in effect
legalized its manufacture In homes by
the laying of taxes on the ingredients
OF manufacture.
States which have no laws prohibit
ing the sale and manufacture OF beer
are New York, Massachusetts,, Mary
land, Rhode Island, Wisconsin, Mon
tana and Nevada. The States which
have in effect legalized the manutac-
ture of beer by taxing the ingredients
of home brew are Michigan, Tennessee,
Indiana, South Dakota, Arkansas, South
Carolina and Georgia"
Signs Of Revolt Noted.
In conclusion, the minority report
said: We favor the imposition OF a
revenue tax at IS per barrel on beer of
an alcoholic content of 2.75 per cent
by weight, or such other method OF
proposing tax that will bring into the
Treasury revenue conservatively estl-
mated as amounting to $3.50 ,000, ,0OO.'
The fight over the proposal for legal
lied and taxed beer will be launched
on the floor of the House. while the
House has under consideration the tax
bill. Representative Crisp of Georgia,
acting chairman of the House commit
tee, hopes to get the bill up tomorrow
or Friday.
While the proposal to legalize beer is
expected to fail in the House, as 1t did
In the committee, its proponents plan to
wage an active contest. They hope to
gain favor for their proposal from the
opponents of some of the features OF
the tax bill
against the tax bill reported by the
Ways and Means Committee on the part
Of both Democratic and Republican
members of the House.
Demands Amendments.
One member of the Ways and Means
Committee, although he joined with the
others in unanimously reporting the bill
to the House, issued a statement de-
claring that unless the bill is ma
terially amended he will be compelled
to vote against it. This was Repre-
sentative r. l.. Doughton of North
carolina, Democrat.
II deeply regret that I cannot and
will not support the bill as drawn and
reported, but shall vote against It un-
less 1t Is materially amended" said
Mr.. Doughton, The provisions making
it impossible for me to support the
bill are the sales tax and the provision
that levies tariff of l cent per gauor
on all imported gasoline, crude oil and
fuel oil. Gasoline is now bearing a
heavy tax imposed by the States in
some cases as high as cents Der
gallon. but my greatest objection tr
the bill Is the sales 1Rx provision"