Evening star., 1933-03-22
ROOSEVELT SIGNS
bEERAND WINE BILL,
APRIL I
so Measure Is Rushed to ,
White House After Garner
Affixes Signature.
PLANS TO ADMINISTER
NEW LAW ARE SPEEDED
Fourteen States Will Permit Sale
OF Brew-Drys Expected to
Test Constitutionality.
BY the Associated Press.

! BY the Associated Press.
president Roosevelt signed the 80
per cent beer and wine bill into law
today Immediately on receiving it from
the Capitol.
IL legallzes the beverages to be sold
where not otherwise prohibited as soon
as the clock strikes midnight, April G.
Fourteen States allow the beer, which
must be held to 32 per cent alcohol
by weight, or 4 per cent by volume.
Wasting no time on the act to which
ne looks for at least sl25, 100000 tax
contribution toward balancing the
pudget, Mr.. Roosevelt-as soon as the
plI reached the White House-crossed
| over to his cabinet room to afix his
signature, along with that of Vice
PRESIDENT Garner that had been put
on TWO minutes after the Senate met
Inc PRESIDENT went to the cabinet
room by prearrangements to enable
photographers to record the scene.
Legal Battle Pends.
Once sale gets under way, a long
legal controversy is expected to follow
as to constitutionality of the law, reach
ing the Supreme Court eventually.
President Roosevelt today asked the
Attorney General to report the status
Of Federal prisoners convicted under the
dry laws, but who would not have been
guilty Of violation under the terms of
the new beer bill.
No decision has been reached on
paroling such prisoners, nor is it known
how many there are.
The bill went to the President just
nine days after he asked its enactment
in brief special message.
1t was the third of the major emer-
gency measures requested by him and
enacted by the special session, which
convened two weeks ago tomorrow. The
others were the banking bill and the
economy measure.
Treasury experts have estimated that
it Will contribute from S125, 100000 to
$3.50 100000 in additional revenue
toward balancing the budget by its pro-
vision for tax of $5 barrel on the
| beverages.
Garner Signs Immediately.
The Senate had been in session but
two minutes after noon, when Garner
signed. -
Its adjournment before the House
voted final passage yesterday necessi-
tated putting the formality over, mas
much as the Senate must be meeting
when the Vice President acts.
Speaker Rainey signed yesterday as
soon as that mighty shout Of AYE"
Aye rang through the crowded House
chamber.
The enrolled beer bill arrived from
"a %oIx
convened and was carried to Gamers
desk.
Then. as a quorum was being called
and with only few Senators in their
seats, the Vice President added his
signature under that of Speaker Rainey.
He smiled at the parliamentary clerk,
Charles Watkins as he scratched his
name
There was no ceremony, and spec
tators in the galleries apparently did
not even realize that the bill was the
paper signed.
Amos w. w. woodcock, prohibition
director. and DR.. James NJ Doran, COM
missioner of industrial alcohol, are
making their plans for issuing licenses
TO brewers and preventing shipments
into States with prohibitory laws. New
revenue stamps already are being
printed.
Enforcement Planned.
Shortly after the House adopted the
conference report yesterday, the Bureau
| OF Industrial Alcohol announced it
would enforce the pending new law so
lar as production, inspection and super
vision were concerned, and that rev.
enue stamps of the same kind used be-
fore prohibition already were in the
making to be turned over to the In
ternal Revenue Bureau. That organi-
zation will take care of collecting taxes
upon the brew
In statement the Bureau of Indus
trial Alcohol said it had anticipated
action by Congress in having the stamps
printed. They will be in denomi-
nations of "a barrel, 1/6 barrel, a bar
rel and so on up to S barrels, 10 barrels
and 25 barrels.
| Stamps already employed for legal
! lied wine will be continued.
Meanwhile, Col. Woodcock said he
was comforting already with admins
| traitors with view to preventing VIOLA
tions of the beer bill and to co-ordi-
| mating enforcement of this measure
! with the prohibition on hard liquors
Upon Woodcock's organization win
| fall the duty of preventing shipment
Of beer to dry States and watching over
the brewers to prevent manufacture of
beer above 80 per cent alcoholic cen
tent.
I'VE will try to carry out the intent
Of Congress intelligently," he said,
! adding that it probably would be several
| days before he could issue complete
regulations for enforcement.
Same Force to Be Used.
DR.. Doran will handle the issuance
ofs licenses for brewing and he expects
to do it with the same size force now
| employed in his division, even though,
| he said, it means general overtime duty
| for the first few days.
| Millions of gallons of beer are waiting
| in huge watts over the country to be
| shipped out for sale, but before it Is
moved it must bear the $5-a-barrel
revenue stamp which the Internal Reve-
nue. Bureau has prepared for sale.
13 PASSENGERS ESCAPE