"DRY" WASHINGTON.

Lyttelton Times, Volume CXVII, Issue 17078, 29 January 1916, Page 12

"DRY" WASHINGTON.

ITS LATEST DEVELOPMENT.

Instead of voting only once on the embarrassing subject of prohibition, the members of the present Congress are facing the probability of being called on twice to answer a roll call on the wet and dry issue, writes the " New York Sun's" Washington correspondent on December 11.

The Anti-Saloon League has a well organised force at work in Washington and members of Congress are worried over tho outlook. E. C. Dinwiddie, president of the league, has been hovering around the' lobby doors of the House and the Senate ever since the gravels fell in the two" branches last Monday, and he is determined by roll call to separate the wets from the drys in Congress. Mr Dinwiddie will soon be joined here by W. E. Johnson, who is known hi tho Indian country of the West as "Pussyfoot." Johnson pursued the demon rum to his lair on many Indian reservations, and the demon was tied hand and foot and crushed to earth.

Leaders in Congress expect two antiliquor measures to cause a ruction at this session, one establishing prohibition in Washington. D.C., and the other a resolution for a dry United States by constitutional amendment. CAPITAL MAY BE MADE DBY.

There is more than a fighting chance that the national capital will be made dry territory before the current session comes to an end. The outcome of the broader fight is in doubt, at least for the present. Nevertheless, the wet members of Congress are in a fretful mood and fear the worst. Leaders of the Anti-Saloon League, it is understood, will be satisfied if they succeed in driving liquor as a merchantable commodity out of the seat of government. Such an achievement, they believe, would give a tremendous impetus for a dry nation. Bepresentative Webb, of North Carolina, will undoubtedly lead tho tight against liquor in the House. Senator Sheppard will direct the dry forces in the Senate. The anti-liquor folks have concentrated much of their attention in the House to getting their bills reported from the Judiciary Committee, of which Bepresentative Webb is chairman. He is the author of-'the Webb law, which provides for Federal co-operation in keeping strong drink out of dry States. With Mr Webb in command the antiliquor Bills now stand a good chance of favourable action by the Judiciary Committee. It is the plan of officers of the Anti-Saloon League to have tho dry amendment to the Constitution reported early enough in the session to ensure action before Congress quits next summer.

THE METHOD OF ATTACK. For Washington there is a. plan to amend the Appropriation Bill, which carries money to maintain the local government. Congress controls expenditures of the capital and all legislation for the city goes through the same routine as national lawmaking. When the new excise law was passed a few years ago—a law that mado Washington dry on Sunday—members were bombarded with telegrams from their districts urging them to vote for the measure. The Anti-Saloon League attended to this.

The league is again on the job. and those members who dread to far*e the liquor question are not consoled by the thought that the pending .constitutional nmendment will be side-tracked, in view of the strong probability that the issue will be presented in a Bill proposing to make Washington as dry as a bone*