| Show PROPOSAL DEFEATED Proposed Levy Rejected After Spirited Debate Amendment to Revenue Bill BillS Turned Down by to Ballot WETS ETS DEMAND REPEAT Congresswoman Urges Vote Vot as You Drink By United Press Pris WASHINGTON March 25 A 25 A pro for tor tax on beer was defeated in inthe inthe inthe the the house today a after ter wets vets had made madea a spectacular demonstration with demands demands de do mands for br the abolition of oC tion The amendment was de defeated by a vote of or to The vote was concluded concluded con at p. p m. m injected the prohibition Issue during consideration tion of the fhe billion dollar revenue bill now being reshaped after elimination of its sales tax provisions Ringing demands for abolition of prohibition were heard amid cheers from the house membership in the debate debate de do bate preceding the vote Representative Mary T. T Norton CD D. D N. N J J. J appealed to the members to vote as they drink and support the Cullen beer amendment to the revenue reve re nue bill The house listened in respectful si silence si lence a as as' Mrs Norton flayed prohibition tion as a breeder of crime and attacked at tacked the members for not voting their convictions There Thero arc are many men here who honestly believe in prohibition the thc woman member said and I 1 respect them and their views But I also know kno another nother class clas of men inca who do o not believe in prohibition and ana who do not personally follow tollow the dictates of the prohibition amendment I know she added that they would be glad to take their places as honest men and vote as 33 they drink WILL BRING HAPPINESS This amendment Mrs Norton said will not only bring revenue to toa a depleted treasury but a great deal of happiness to this country The only picture in my II mind nd is isone isone isone one of corruption suffering and a along along along long stream of or crimes during the past 12 years of prohibition No thinking man or woman believes that prohibition tion Hon has made this a better country to live in Prolonged applause broke out in inthe inthe inthe the house as Mrs Norton finished speaking There was no such outcry of indignation indig nation as greeted a similar attack on congressional drinking made at the beginning of the session by Representative Representative Sweeney a a new Democratic member from Ohio At that time congressman after alter congressman took the floor to defend congre congressional ional honor lonor The amendment was offered by the Tammany Democratic leader Representative Thomas H. H Cullen of ot Brook 1 lyn It proposed a cent 3 a pint tax on beer lager porter and ale of not more than per cent alcoholic content by volume DECLARED FUTILE The dry leader Representative Thomas Blanton D. D Texas immediately immedi lodged a point of order against it t. t He said it was a futile and usel useless s thing hing that can only cause trouble to the nation I know that previous chairmen of the hc house in committee of the thc whole have lave held that the question of constitutionality of an amendment cannot be considered by them Blanton said as he twiddled his thumbs while three fourths of or the membership sat in close attention I ask the chair to blaze a new trail of precedent by holding this amendment out of order Blanton was assisted by Represent Represent- eH Homer mer Hoch R. R Kan Hoch Said he hc thought the amendment was a I Continued on Pace Pare Two HOUSE REJECTS TAX UPON BEER Continued From Pose Pago One violation of the act Representative Representative Representative Cellar D. D D N N. Y broke in to point out that some states tax illegal gambling gamblin devices and that the income tax bureau is collecting taxes from bootleggers Representative D. D Dt Ala who was in the chair said he could not capriciously set sel aside the prece prece- precedence dence denee of the house for this amend amend- ment mente He held It was germane and could be voted upon He was backed in that view by acting Chairman Crisp of or the ways and means com corn com The amendment came as a proposed pro pro- proposed posed addition to an amendment by Crisp seeking to restore the taxes hastily omitted yesterday on wort I and malt maU syrup 30 to 40 per cent I lubricating oil 4 cents a gallon grape II concentrates 40 per pcr cent and imported import import- ed oil 1 cent a gallon allon Crisp said the house had inadvertently inadvertently stricken out the domestic tax on these articles and had left a tax on imports The effect he pointed out would be to give ive a high protective protective tive tar tariff on home brewing and wine making facilities In sustaining his decision Bank Bank- head declared that the supreme court has hns never ruled on whether 75 per percent percent percent cent beer is intoxicating The chair is clearly of the opinion he ie added that this amendment merely provides another additional source of revenue to the many listed in the bill Following Bankhe Bankhead's ds d's ruling Crisp attempted to obtain in a unanimous agreement for a limitation of debate but scores of clamorous members desiring desiring desiring de de- siring to speak made this impossible ASKS RATIONALITY Representative Cullen author of the amendment then took the floor to ask the house to be rational and fair fair- minded and realize that legalizing per cent beer would meet with the approval of a great majority of our people This amendment the New York Democrat said would raise without discouraging an any industry industry indus indus- try but the bootle bootlegger ger Blanton opposed the amendment in ina a speech in which he suggested bullfighting bullfighting bull bullfighting fighting lotteries and a new divorce center at Washington as parallel sources of revenue If it is just a question of or revenue he said we could establish an International international Inter inter- national lottery and raise billions of dollars We could start bull bullfighting fighting We could make Washington a divorce center and Reno out Reno |
