Salt Lake Tribune | 1919-07-17 | Page 2 | Explicit Dry Law Ruling, Demand

mm dry li j RULilUffii ; Antisaloon League Counsel Denies Arguments of :j . Brewers' Lawyer. Claims Congress Ha3 Right to Fix Half Per Cent as Alcoholic Content. WASHINGTON, July 16. Authority o: congress to fix one-half of one per cent aa the maximum alcohol content of bev-cra bev-cra ges in prohibition enforcement legis-ation legis-ation is clear, Wayne Ii. Wheeler, gen-; gen-; eral counsel of tho Anti-Saloon league, ; declared today before the senate judi-'t judi-'t ciary subcommittee in answering recent ,'; statements of Samuel Untermyer, counsel for brewers. "To allow (ho sale of 24 per cent ;fi beer," said Mr. "Wheeler, "would keep alive tho liquor trade and defeat the v purposes of national prohibition. Friends (', of prohibition do not want a code unless it defines Intoxicating liquor." Thirty-throe prohibition states and thirteen local option states, Mr. Wheeler said, have laws limiting alcohol In bev-7 bev-7 erages. Ha challenged Mr. Untermyer ? to produce any court decisions denying congress or Jjtato legislatures tho right ; to make definitions. Possession Ban Not Asked. v Mr. Wheeler told the committee prohi- ' bition advocates wore not asking that possession of liquors, bought before July V 1, for personal uso, be prohibited. He adds, however, that they were suggest- Ing amendments to the pending legisla-i,- tion to limit the amount of liquors which may be stored in private residences, so X na to "prevent homes from becoming speakeasies." Another amendment advocated by pro- hibition leaders, Mr. Wheeler said, is a !? provision for seizure of liquor in homes where it is sold illicitly. Two other amendments were urged by , the witness. To prevent bootlegging, lie asked that the committee odd a clause making mete personal and pnysicai possession of in-toxicants in-toxicants such as the presence of a bot- r; tie in an individual's pocket unlawful. i Senator Sterling suggested that tho Mil be extended so as to penalize pui-chase pui-chase as well ;is salo of intoxicating buv- ?; erages. Mr. Wheeler also asked for sweeping V search warrant powers, suggesting that seizures be authorized without a warrant, & or at least that warrants lie issued with- out requiring testimony in support of re-" re-" quests. Otherwise, he said, liquor might ''i bo removed before officers could act. jf Senator Walsh of Montana and other ;- committee members opposed extension of the bill's search warrant provisions. Flavoring Extracts Regulations. S The house judiciary committee, Mr. WheeJer said, has agreed upon an amendment governing the sale of flavor-; flavor-; Ing extracts, which is satisfactory to all Interests. It permits "wholesale distribu- tion of theso extracts, some of which X contain 40 to 60 per cent of alcohol, but z. requires retailers to dilute beverages to less than one-half of one per cent, he added. Levi Cooke, general counsel for the National Distillers' association, appearing In hehalf of amendment to regulate . manufacture of industrial alcohol and to "protect" 60,000,000 gallons of distilled spirits now held in bond, said this i, amount was "all that is left in the country."