Evening star., 1933-01-29
HOUSE KILLS FUND.
FOR DRY |NF0RMERS
Prohibition Dealt Blow as
Enforcement Appropriation
Is Cut $3.50, 600.
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Continued From First Page.)
Judiciary Committee and In charge Of
the real amendment, earnestly de-
sires-the repeal resolution may come
before the Senate for consideration
during this week.
Clash Expected.
A clash between the two Senators
from Wisconsin, Blaine and La Toilette,
may develop, however, for Senator La
Toilette demands that the Federal re-
lief bill for the destitute be taken up
at the earliest opportunity. The relief
bill recently has been reported from the
Committee on Manufactures Of which
Senator La Toilette is chairman, and
would provide half billion dollars to
be used to aid the destitute. OF this
sum $500, 100000 would be allotted to
the States the District of Columbia and
the Territories, according to population
and the remainder would be used where
local funds and the allotment from the
5000, 100000 fund was not sufficient to
care for the unemployed.
Tomorrow morning the Senate
Finance Committee begins hearings on
the beer and wine bill, recently favor
ably reported to the Senate by the
Senate Judiciary Committee. Senator
Smoot of Utah, the chairman of the
committee. has declared that he pro-
poses to hear the vets and the drys
on the merits of the bill as we'll as
witnesses dealing with the revenue
features Of the bill. Some Of his COL
leagues on the committee, among
them Senator Harrison of Mississippi
iv,fn - = l.
man on this matter and confine the
the bill alone The bill levies a tax
of IS barrel on the liquors author
lied. Senator Smoot Is an opponent
of the beer and wine bill 1t is not
expected that he will undertake to ex-
pedite the measure. He postponed
hearings on the bill for a week after
the Judiciary Committee had re-
ported it.
Handicapped by State Action.
The cut in the appropriation for
prohibition enforcement is more par
ticularly severe in view of the fact
that more than a dozen States have
repealed their own enforcement laws
leaving the burden in those States on
the Federal Government, very largely
This is the situation in some of the
most populous States In the Union
The provision In the bill prohibiting
the use of any of the enforcement
money for the purchase Of liquor in
making case is regarded as a big
handicap, for without the actual pur-
chase of liquor thousands of cases will
be thrown out or impossible to prose
cute in many of the States and in the
Federal courts.
The temper Of the House appeared
to be so strongly against prohibition
that II repeal cannot be had in any
other way. the route of denial of funds
to enforce the dry laws would BE- taken
An amendment offered by Representa-
| tive Griffin of New York, a Democrat
proposing to cut the enforcement item
by 20 per cent was defeated in COM
mittee Of the whole only by a vote OF
l28 to lib. 1t was Representative
Britten OF Illinois who offered the
amendment to reduce the appropria-
ton which finally was successful.
Further Reductions Forecast,
If the present Congress. containing
as 1t does many drys who were defeated
for denomination or reelection, makes
such showing on prohibition enforce
ment legislation, the expectation is
that in the next Congress. regarded as
far "wetter" In sentiment, the reduction
OF funds for enforcement may be mucl,
more drastic
The roll call vote in the House on
the amendment to prohibit the use OF
lnformers and money to purchase liquor
showed the drys in bad shape nu-
merically. On this vote ITO Democrats
I II O
supported the amendment and 81 Demo-
Gratis and 103 Republicans voted agains,
1t. Many of the Republicans voting or
! the dry side are lame ducks" and will
| not be members Of the next Congress.
Representative Oliver of Alabama, ir
charge Of the appropriation bill, sup.
ported strongly the proposals for en-.
| forcement. But it was clear after the
first record vote that the vets were IL
command of the situation and no fur.
| ther record ''ote was taken. When tht
| bill reaches tie Senate, undoubtedly eff
forts will be made to restore the en-
forcement item to its original size.
Fear Adverse Sentiment.
| While the vets rejoice in the strength
which they have been able to show II
the House at this session, some of then
are fearful that sudden lowering o
the enforcement bars, before the repea
Of the eighteenth amendment and tn,
! legalization of the liquor traffic, woult
cause a scandalous situation in tn,
country and arouse dry sentiment again
| Until the present session Of Congress
the vets have found 1t impossible t,
put through provisions cutting tn
funds for enforcement or to prohibi
wire tapping and the use of informer
and the use of money for the putchas
Of liquor to bring about convictions
Again and again similar amendment
to those now. adopted in the House hav
been offered to appropriation bills il
the past, but they have invariably
failed by substantial votes The result
of the last election, plus the platform
declarations of both the Democrats an,
the Republicans. have been responsible
for the change in the, present Congress
0CEc . 0E z I0Rc