Evening star., 1933-01-28
ADDED CUTS FACED
IN DRY LAW COSTS
House Girds for New Votes
After Slash and Curb
on Activities.
BY the Associated Press.

BY the Associated Press.
House members today faced new votes
on slashing the cost OF prohibition en-
forcement 10 per cent and binding what
money was left with such rigid restric-
tions that officials whoNre familiar with
the problems of administering the law
termed them "a severe handicap"
The House voted yesterday to make
the reduction and do other things it
had refused consistently to do in the
past-such as providing that none Of
the $8,440,00 should be spent for wire
tapping, to buy liquor for evidence or
to pay informers.
But these amendments were adopted
part way through consideration OF the
bill appropriating money. Tor the JUS
tice Department, and therefore there
was a chance for any member to de-
mand q separate vote on any OF the
If that were done the final outcome
was unpredictable. For instance. the
amendment by Representative Griffin.
Democrat, of New York, limiting the
bureaus ALLEGATION for 1894 enforcement
to $8.440, 600, against the $l0,25O0OO
allowed this year. was adopted by an
1l-vote margin-129 to 1l8. A Few
changed minds would switch the result.
As members considered today just
how they would vote on possible roll
call they met criticism from some
drys and acclaim from some vets.
DRY Chief Held Powerless.
Said Edward B. Dunford. general
counsel for the Anti-saloon League:
Some of the amendments will Ger
tainly hamper prohibition enforcement
and are a long step toward attempted
nulliflcation Of the Constitution. -,
Agreed Rufus s. Lusk. national
legislative officer Of the militant wet
crusaders organization:
IF the House amendments become
law, on that day prohibition will om-
cially collapse. If Col. Woodcock. the
director of prohibition, has torn from
him his most powerful weapons-stool
pigeons, the informer and the right OF
entrapment by the purchase OF eM-
dence-he might as well resign. HIS
Job is hopeless now. 1t would be I'M
possible then"
Wire-tapping, banned by the House,
already has been limited to big COM
mercial operators. Only 1Ol OF the
10000 cases made by the Prohibition
Bureau were tnrOu&n evidence SAtAAciSo
on tapped wires.
This information was given to the
House last session. Then, 1t beat an
Identical amendment by Tinkham, Re-
publican, Of Massachusetts,, 1872 to 1O3.
Yesterday. it reversed itself and In
serted the amendment 122 to lot.
These votes did reflect considerable
change in the general attitude Of House
members since before the last election.
But regardless Of what they did today,
the Senate and the President had yet
to act upon the bill.
Sharp Words Exchanged.
The debate yesterday evoked sharp
words and rapidly rising tempers.
Among those who participated were
Representatives Britten, Republican. OF
Illinois; Schafer, Republican, Of Wis
consin; Clancy, Republican. Of Mich
igan, speaking in opposition to. and
Blanton, Democrat, Of Texas, and
Moore. Republican, Of Ohio, speaking
on behalf Of prohibition.
Representative Griffin, IN making his
motion for the cut in the appropriation,
told the House:
Both parties stand for repeal. Most
of the members of Congress are COM
mitted to repeal. The reduction is In
conformity with the economy program"
But, replied Beedy, Republican, OF
Maine, the real question Is shall we
obstruct the officials in the Justice De-
partment who are sworn to uphold the
law?"
The $8,440,000 allotment was ap-
proved after the House had rejected,
113 to 128, another amendment by
Griffin to cut the total to $7,199. 1856.
The total approved contrasts with $l0.-
ESQ, 900 appropriated for enforcement
this year and $9,599, ,948 asked by the
budget.
Yesterdays House action differed
widely from what was done a year ago,
before the last election. Then the
House defeated, 1873 to "A, proposal
to cut $3,000,000 of the prohibition
allowance.