AMERICA'S DRY LAW

Evening Post, Volume CXI, Issue 17, 21 January 1931, Page 9

AMERICA'S DRY LAW

COMMISSION'S REPORT

IDEAS ON ENFORCEMENT

FAR FROM UNANIMOUS

United Press Association—By Electric Telegraph—Copyright. (Received 21st .January, 0 a.m.) WASHINGTON, 20th January. The Washington Commission, known as the National Commission on Law Observance and Enforcement has reported. Its members we're- unable to agree as whether Prohibition can be enforced. Some think that the Eighteenth Amendment should immediately be revised. Some favour a further trial with increased enforcement. After eleven years of Prohibition, the Commission is of opinion that there is yet no adequate observance or enforcement. The Commission as a whole is opposed to a repeal of the amendment and opposed to Federal or State Government as such, going into the liquor business. It is also opposed to a modification of the National Prohibition Act to permit the sale of light wines and beer. President Hoover sent to Congress on Tuesday with qualified praise a report from the Wickersham Commission, which declared against repeal.; of the Eighteenth Amendment, but put forward a plan of possible revision. The President concurred with the Commission's finding that the amendment should stay and did not recommend any present effort to amend it. He made no direct reference to the fact that six of tho eleven Commissioners asked for repeal or modification, or to the declaration of the whole Commission that a revision of the clause giving concurrent" power to State and National enforcement would be wise. In Congress the report immediately became the centre of attention and inspiration for many projected proposals for the modification or strengthening of the dry statutes. President Hoover ejuphasised the recommendations for better enforcement. One outstanding Commission proposal was that'the number of Prohibition agents, now about 1400, should .be doubled along with similar extensive increases of the personnel charged with making the country dry. Another was that the clause restricting medical liquor be liberalised. A third contemplated action to define more clearly the legal status of home-made wine. ■