Evening star., 1933-11-09
NEW ENFORCEMENT
PROBLEM IS FOUND
Laws Require U. S. to Pro-
tect Local Option Areas
in Every State.
Continued From First Page.)

local option problems to State and local
police.
The Federal Government is fully
aware of the large burden imposed upon
it by the twenty-firSt amendment and
the Webb-Kenyon law in protecting dry
States from liquor leakage. Under pro-
hibition, the Federal agents had such
well-def1ned boundaries as coast lines,
lakes and rivers to watch. Now they
must guard State boundary lines, which,
more often than not, are diScernible
only on maps.
Conference Tomorrow.
These and other problems looming
as result of repeal are to be threShed
out at the conference of departmental
officials called for tomorrow by Presi-
dent Roosevelt
The President consulted this morn
ing with special committee of cabinet
officers to map a Federal liquor revenue
policy. Views of the State, Treasury,
Justice. Commerce and Agriculture De-
partments were sought to coordinate
the Governments activities.
The President had before him a
lengthy report by a special committee
making recommendations on liqLor
taxes and tariffs and outlining specif-
cally the situation as it will stand when
the twenty-frst amendment becomes
effective.
The tax program, along with repeal
OF the VolStead act to permit sale IN
the District of Columbia and the terri
tories, will be considered at tomorrow's
meeting Of department representatives
Temperance Is Objective.
Objectives Of the program are tenn
perance and methods of dispensing al
coholic drinks without the return of
the old-time saloon. In addition, steps
are to be taken through the Coast
Guard to prevent smuggling of foreign
liquor across the Eastern and Southern
coasts, where rum fleets are reported
concentrated in a move to evade the
S5-a.gallOn import tax.
Meanwhile. inquiries from foreign
governments and importers about the
exact status regarding inportations in
view OF prospective repeal, led Secre-
tary of State Hull and Acting Secretary
of the Treasury Acheson to join in
statement warning that Illicit imports
will be penalized.
Until December S, imports will be
governed by the provision of the tariff
law of 1890 and the regulations of the
Bureau of Industrial Alcohol.
The tariff law, in the section fixing
import duties for spirits and wine, says
nothing in this schedule shall be con-
Strued as in any manner limiting or
restricting the provisions of the
national prohibition act"
Hearings Open November 27.
The House Ways and Means Commit
tee will open hearings on liquor taxa
ton legislation November 81 to pre-
pare a bill for early Congressional ac-
ton in January. Nobody yet knows, Of
course, how much money the taxes will
raise.
The present tax is $1.1O gallon on
whisky, gins and brandies. Although it
has been predicted that this will be
increased to as high as SO a gallon,
members of subcommittee studying
the question claim it will not exceed
S2.20. They say a higher tax might
encourage the bootlegger to continue in
his business.
If Kentucky as partial returns indi-
cate, becomes the thirty-seventh State
to vote ratification in Tuesdays cleo
tions along with Ohio, Pennsylvania and
Utah actual repeal will come on De-
cember 5, date of the ratifying conven-
ton in the thirty-sixth State. North
and South Carolina refused to vote
ratification, the first two States to reject
the twenty-first amendment.
Urged to Bar Saloons.
Four members of the Wickersham
Commission that studied prohibition
several years ago joined yesterday in
urging temperance after repeal and that
the old saloon be barred
Newton D. Baker. former Secretary
of War, who voted on the commission
for immediate repeal, held education
and character building" were the best
instruments for promoting temperance.
Frank j. Loesch. Henry w. Ander-
son and Judge Paul j. Mccormick,
other commission members, urged tenn
perance, with Mccormick advocating a
ban on saloons, explaining:
There is now danger of the reStora-