Evening star., 1932-12-13
|DRY LEADERS WAR
ON COLLIER BILL
Argue That Congress Lacks
Power to Fix Alcoholic
Content of Beer.
Continued From First Page.)

Continued From First Page)
the prohibitionis.s side of the hearings
which have been held since last Wed
nesday.
The committee will hear Secretary of
the Treasury Mills tomorrow and then
decide on the alcoho ic content and tax
TO be included in any bill reported.
Upshaw Letter Read.
Before Pickett was presented, Collier
had letter from William D. Upshaw,
a former Representative from Georgt,
and presidential candidate on the Pro-
hibition party ticket. read by a clerk
UpshaW's letter said 2.75 per cent
beer would be intoxicating and that lit
is governmental suicide" to legalize sale
Of the liquid.
Pickett said as representative Of a
great church please permit me to enter
a most solemn protest against action
to be very properly characterized as
hysteria on this whole liquor question. y
He said his church was opposed to
the licensed liquor traffic, whether
that traffic consist of beer, wine or
stronger liquors"
Testifying on the proposal to legal
ize the sale of beer, Pickett said:
We believe the establishment OF
vast legalized trade In beer with an
alcoholic content in excess of that now
permitted will decrease the revenue Of
the country"
Condemns Liquor Interests.
He added that while portion Of the
receipts Of that trade will be paid into
the Treasury, vast sums now expended
in the purchase of other commodities
will be diverted to the liquor trafic,
and consequently the revenues from in
come and corporation taxes, originating
elsewhere, will decline"
The liquor interests. like the old
French regime of France, have learned
nothing and forgotten nothing" he
said. They want liquor back they
want it sold on every corner; they want
to advertise it over the radio, in the
newspapers, and with flaming electric
signs, they want no Federal control
Whatever, SO that they can extend their
traffic to the uttermost limits of the
land They are planning to expand
their trade by exploiting the boys and
girls, particularly the girls, as they
were never exploited before"
Pickett told the committee that:
Il want to confess most humbly that
while We urge you now not to fail us,
We must admit to a certain extent that
We have failed you Our people have
wet propaganda has undermined senti-
ment May I say that con-
fession will in this case be followed by
the bringing forth Of works meet for
repentance"
Hits Collier Bill.
Referring specifically to the Collier
bill before the committee, which would
legalize the sale of 275 beer. Pickett
said as it. was drawn it fatally limits
court action 10 prevent the manufac-
ture Of beer exceeding 275 by weight
- alcoholic content"
las written" he said. "the bill will
insure the sale of beer containing much
more than .275 CT alcohol by weight"
He said the fact that there is moth
ing in this proposed legislation to pro-
hibit the advertising of beer by radio.
in the press, or otherwise. to my mind
presents an appalling prospect"
Pickett told the committee that he
was not convinced that the provisions
to protect the dry States were suf-
ficient and said. The failure to pro-
pose a definite percentage of wine con-
tent will certainly insure that it would
be impossible for the United States
Government to prosecute successfully
any case involving the manufacture or
sale of wine, no matter how great the
intoxicating percentage"
He said he believed the sale OF heer
would increase unemployment and the
problems of the farmer and that be-
fore prohibition "the courts were filled
with drunks who became intoxicated
on beer"
Says Argument Is for Bill.
As Pickett finished, Representative
Treadway, Republican, OF Massachusetts,
leaned forward and said emphatically:
You have made the best argument in
favor Of reporting this bill that I have
heard yet
Pickett stood for a moment looking
at TreadWay.
well" he observed, Il don't know
about that, but If it is compliment, !.
thank you
What do you mean when you say
beer of an appealing constituency"
Treadway asked.
Il mean beer Of an alcoholic content