Evening star., 1933-01-15
i0lSTEAD LAUGHS
At VETS CLAIMS
Says Beer Advocates Ignore
Saloons, Bar Flies and
Drunken Husbands.
Special Dispatch to The Star.

9pCClhA blSPdSSh w AhS RSoA'
MINNEAPOLIS, MINI, January IA
(N.A.N.A.).--"Nice, wholesome, health
full beer, containing all the ingredients
of milk-but not intoxicating!"
Andrew j. Volstead, father of pro-
hibition, having uttered those words,
leaned back in his chair and laughed
scornfully.
He was thinking of those men in
Congress who are trying to legalize beer
with more than per cent alcoholic
content. He shrugged his aging shoul-
ders.
Maybe they can do it; don't know"
he went on. But while they're going
into ecstasies over beer-its wonderful
qualities, the enormous revenues and
the rejuvenation of business-they don't
say anything about the saloons, the
stink Of beer out in front, the bar flies
and drunkard husbands. They forget
to give US that picture"
1t has been Is years since prohibition
went into effect. Monday will be the
anniversary. And on the eve of mark
ing another milestone in the fight for
national temperance, Andrew Volstead
IS just as certain now as he was back
In the early days that it can be ac-
complished.
Unconcerned Over Onslaughts.
The onslaughts on the eighteenth
amendment and the Volstead act don't
concern him much-not after IS years
of prohibition. He has become an old
man. He was go when prohibition went
into effect and he was a member of
Congress. He is 73 now. He is still
an ardent prohibitionist He will tell
you it is right" and that it will pre-
vail in the long run.
Ia dnocr1H flirly fhot thu aI
modification is right-either in law or
in principle. Congress. he says, may do
tt-he can't tell just what they will do.
IF they do make the change, saloons
will be back" said Mr.. Volstead. $50
will drunkenness. So will all those evils
that we fought back in the days when
we we're trying to wipe out the traffic
through local option.
THE beer that we had in those
days ran about the same content as is
being proposed now. There were, of
course, some brewers who made it
stronger, but generally speaking it was
from to 3.5 per cent.
Three glasses of that beer contained
as much alcohol as two glasses OF
whisky. Six glasses of beer had the
same amount as four of whisky.
Wouldn't four glasses of whisky be in
toxicating?
''I know many men who will readily
admit that even one glass of whisky
has an intoxicating effect on them"
The brewers, went on Mr.. Volstead,
are anxious for the return of the sa-
loon Legalization of alcoholic beer
would bring saloons back over night.
There would have to be places at which
the beer could be sold. There would
have to be saloons.
do you remember the old saloon
days?" he asked. do you remember
the boisterous crowds inside singing
raucous songs and doing things they
wouldn't do when sober. Do you re-
member the old barflies-those broken
down men of the gutter who earned
their drinks by cleaning out the spitoons
and lived of the sausage and crackers
on the bar?'"
Among the many other things to be
remembered about the saloon. Mr. Vol
stead said, was the drunken husbands
who sQuandered their pay checks and
gave their wives a few cents Tor food
for the family.
That's what we'll have again if they
give us 80 per cent beer, even II II is
q nice, healthful, wholesome beverage
with all the ingredients Of milk.
But Mr. Volsteads arguments aren't
all confined to the moral side of pro-
hibition.
Laughs at Tax Estimates.
"They say we'll get s1,5OO 900 900 in
revenue from taxing beer" he said.
and again threw back his gray-mopped
head, to laugh.
cat the most prosperous times before
prohibition, when we levied tax OF S6
q gallon for spirits, the best we ever
got out of beer taxes was Sf25, 100000
q year. It's amusing to hear them Jug
gle up the figures, particularly now
when economic conditions are as they
are.
TO whom are they going to sell all
this beer-even enough beer to net
tax of $125,O0000 Do they think
they're going to get it from selling beer
to people who haven't any money? Who
can afford these days to buy it?"
The father of the prohibition act
paused for moment and then took up
the argument that the restoration OF
beer will mean an increased demand for
farmers grain.
They're making beer in Canada
openly The prices for grain in Canada
haven't been above those in the United
States. As matter of fact, am sure
that prices in the United States have
been higher than in Canada. So the
farmers cannot expect better prices
through the return of beer
copyright. 1893. by the North American
NewnaDpr Alliance)