PROHIBITION IN AMERICA.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LVI, Issue 17268, 18 September 1919, Page 8

PROHIBITION IN AMERICA.

FRAMING A NEW LAW. A Bill to enforce both war-time prohibition and the permanent prohibition law passed the United States House of Representatives on July 22. At that time the measure had still to go before the Senate, lhe Outlook (New York), reviewing the Bill says:—"ln framing this measure the legislators encountered two difficulties, tor which it is not easy to see a satisfactory solution. In the first place, the question arose whether it would be permissible for people to have and keep intoxicating liquors in their homes. If it were made illegal for anone to possess liquor in his private dwelling it would be almost, if not quite, impossible to mafee such a provision effective without instituting a system of search into private houses that would create resentment as an invasion of the liberty of the citizen. On the other hand, to let it remain lawfttl for a person to keep liquor in his home would be to allow a great advantage to people with sufficient monev to enable them to lay m a stock of liquor for vears to come. It is said bv Mr. Gompers, president of the American Federation of Labour, that a great deal of unrest among wage-earners has been caused bv the fact that they are not permitted to bin- their beer from day to day. while wealtliv men, with well-stocked cellars, can have their wines and whiskies. The House of Representatives has chosen the second horn of this dilemma and has made it not unlawtul to possess liquor in a private dwelling occupied by the owner provided the liquor is used for consumption by himself or his tamily or bona-fide guests. '1l / other obstacl e concerned the lecal method of enforcing the law. If violations of the law were left to trial bv juries it is feared that the observance of the law would be far from uniform In certain places, it is thought, public opinion for the enforcement of prohibition would not be vigorous enough and general enough to make it possible to get jurvmen who would convict violators. So the Bil' has been drawn in such a way as to take the enforcement of the law* out of the hands of juries entirely. Any o'ar* where intoxicating liquor is made "or sold in violation of the law is declared to be a, nuisance, and anybndv maintaining it Is to be regarded as guilty of a misdemeanSwJ 1 !? * S w Je w t0 fine - The United States district attorney or any other officer designated by the United States Attorney-General may institute a suit of S" to restrain the defendant from conducting or permitting the continuance St £ ™ 13ance - Then the person sell£r Jj i }qn °L Ca . n . be Proceeded arainsi for lola " n the injunction. In this proceeding the judge himself may summarily o7co^t PUm - B t u the for contempt SmTaJti ,th a .P ena % Of fine up to ™£th. B Y°r imprisonment up * 12 nXt V F v? both fine and itnprisondrives the e -- eCt *°> 0 this ''" that a degr ptsr&.vs?& isua