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Show SHALL AMERICA HAVE THE LEGALIZATION OF BEER? It is claimed that the purpose in passing beer legislation is to raise revenue. A beer tax levy, it is pointed out, bears an essential relation to the tax levy measures on other things which are usually enacted near the close of the session. Furthermore, it is claimed that the percentage of alcohol al-cohol in beer is the crux in the legalization legali-zation of beer. One group, with its mind on the possible action of the Supreme Su-preme Court, advocates only 2 per cent of alcohol in beer. This is slop, says another group, and it won't sell. If it won't sell, say the drys, it won't raise revenue, so why legalize it" For its legalization will open the doors to an orgy in bootlegging beer of high ! alcoholic content which will be worse j than anything we now have. Thus ; there will be constant war between the legitimate dealer on the one hand, andj the illegitimate dealer on the other, j which will call for an increased law j enforcement personnel. j Another group contends that beer ; of 3 to 4 M per cent alcohol content would kill the bootlegging business. Cut, say some, a bill legalizing a beer of 3V2 to 4V2 per cent alcoholic con-j tent is more likely to be declared un-1 constitutional. And, say others, the ! avowed purpose of legalizing beer is to increase our revenue, and a bill putting put-ting a tax on beer of any alcoholic content, ei.her with or without the Eighteenth Amendment, will defeat its purpose. Those who advocate beer legislation claim that it will raise a revenue of $250,000,000 to $350,000,-000 $350,000,-000 per annum. But, say the opponents, oppon-ents, since the federal government is not able to abolish beer rackets now, this $250,000,000 to $350,000,-000 $350,000,-000 margin between bootleg beer and legalized beer of any alcoholic content is a goodly sum to attract beer j racketeers. j Moreover, they claim that a tax high enough to raise so much revenue i will require dealers to sell beer in bot-1 ties at $0.90 per gallon in case lots. ; Whereas, it is said that "home brewers" brew-ers" can make 5 and 6 per cent beer, for $0.20 a gallon, and bottle it in five gallon quantities. How many persons,1 they ask, who have learned the art of j making 5 to 6 per cent home brew 1 will be willing to buy beer, even with the same alcoholic content, at $0.90 per gallon? I You can't keep your cake in the larder and eat it, say the opponents of beer legislation. If you want to le-; galize beer to drive the bootlegger out of business you must make it and distribute dis-tribute it at a cost lower than he can make it and distribute it. If we look at the experience of other countries, say the drys, we can ! profit thereby. In England beer is now! taxed until its consumption is greatly reduced and tax returns lessened. In -this country such a condition would be fine for the bootlegger. In Finland high taxes on intoxicat- ing beverages have increased rum run-1 ning and bootlegging along with illicit; distilling. A revenue on beer is the margin of j profit which will keep the bootlegger in business. It will also engender: s'.rife between the legal venders of beer and the illegal venders on the one hand and organized society with its , investigators, police officers and courts on the other. Outlaw the traffic as now obtains j and the bootlegger will continue to ply his vice and trade until moral i sentiment is strong enough to drive j him out of it. It is the position of the j dry element that moral sentiment1 against the vice and crime of a le-! galized traffic in strong beverages is j likely never to become an all-prevail-; ing factor in society. The hope, they say, lies in persistent education as to its baneful effects upon the human body and social welfare and the traffic traf-fic against it is rigorously enforced. Those who favor immediate beer legislation and repeal of the Eighteenth Eight-eenth Amendment assert that human appetites for intoxicating beverages CL'.inot be regulated by law without destroying respect for all law; that if beer and other intoxicating drinks are legalized respect for all may he again pievalen ; that those who engage in the .".ale of beer, wines and liquors will strongly support the government, in driving out the competitive bootlegger; boot-legger; that the tax and I iceices will b.' far in excess of the present cost ..I' ci '.'it r .lliiig what is new a vice in the tial'fic. j |