The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1933-01-25
HOUSE SPEEDS
ITS ACTION ON
BEER CONTROL
Eight Of Ten Democrats on
Committee Are Back
of Measure.
DRAUGHT BEER IS OUT
Bill Advanced to Second
Reading; Fear of Saloon
Return Stressed.

Bill to set up a beer control Sys-
tenn in Indiana was advanced to
second reading today in the house
of representatives, on a favorable
majority report from the committee
on public morals, headed by Repre-
sentative John F. Ryan Dem.,
Terre Haute), one of the authors
of the measure.
But the bill, with administration
backing, lacked two votes of getting
unanimous support from the ten
Democratic members of the morals
committee. Representative Harry
L. Matlock, Kokomo, dry Democrat,
did not sign the report, and another
Democrat, H. Baxter Plew, Hymera,
who had signed withdrew his name
without comment while the report
was before the house.
He is said to have. refused to con-
cur because the bill contains no
provision for draught beer.
Minority Report Offered
A minority report was presented
by the only Republican member of
the committee, Hobart Creighton,
Atwood, who asked indefinite post
ponement.
AS advanced to second reading,
the measure differs in several de-
tails from the original bill, but adj
heres strictly to ban on dreught
beer. Such beverage, administra-
ton leaders declare, would mean
the return of the saloon, which the
Democratic state platform pledged
should not be.
Ryan took the floor to explain the
majority report, pointing out the
wet planks in both major party
platforms and that the vote in the
election last Nov. 5 was 16 to 1 in
favor of Wright bone dry law re-
peal, which is a part of the beer
control measure.
Cites G. o. P. Approval
Such big Republicans as Will
Hayes, Henry Marshall, and James
P. Goodrich sanctioned the wet
plank in the G. o. P. platform, -
Ryan said.
This brought the retort from Rep
resentative Herbert H. Evans (Rep.,
Newcastle) that I hope when the
Republican party is reorganized,
those three gentlemne will be left
out"
Another Republican, Oran w.
Cromer Middletown, intimated that
he holds to the theory that party
platform commitments are not
necessarily binding on a candidate
He said nominations of candidates
who took part in the November
election were made in May, before
platforms were written.
Saloon Ban Pledged
Representative Edward H. Stein
Bloomfield Democratic floor leader
reminded the house that both
parties were pledged not to permit
return of the saloon.
Speaking on the Wright law re-
peal provisions of the bill, Repre-
sentative Christ T. Lassen, Crown
Point, Democratic morals commit
tee member, declared the speakeasy
worse menace to youth than the
saloon.
Major amendments made by the
committee include:
Increasing the maximum number
of breWeries from fifteen to tWen-
ty-one.
Abolish Brewery Restriction
Abolition of the restriction of the
number of breWeries to two in any
one congressional district.
Lowering of the minimum seating
capacity of a hotel or restaurant
which receives a permit to sell beer,
from fifty to twenty-five.
Reduction of private club fees
from $500 to $500.
Amendments made by the COM
mittee governing sale of medicinal
whisky include aboliShing the pro-
posed so cents gallon tax on grain
alcohol; reduction of the drug store
license fee from $50 to $25; requir-
ing retail druggists to buy medicinal
liquor only from established whole
sale firms, and requiring that drug
firms be established three years be-
fore receiving a permit.
The committee also recommend
ed exemption from the 40 cents
a pound malt tax on all malt sirup
manufactured in Indiana. but
shipped to other states.