U.S. BEER BILL

Southland Times, Issue 21896, 23 December 1932, Page 5

U.S. BEER BILL

HOUSE APPROVES t MEASURE NOW GOES TO SENATE TUMULTUOUS DEBATE (United Press Assn.—Telegraph Copyright.) Washington, December 21. The House of Representatives passed the Beer Bill by 230 votes to 165 after two days’ tumultuous debate. On the first test vote on the Beer Bill the House defeated by 132 votes to 108 a motion to strike out the enacting clause of the Collier Bill. The move would automatically have killed the measure. On a teller vote being demanded the vote was 163 to 118.

In a crashing finale the House went on record for the legalization of beer containing 3.2 per cent alcohol by weight, which is equivalent to 4 per cent by volume. The final roll came upon the heels of an overwhelming refusal to send the Bill back to the committee, an action which topped an allday procession of votes to beat back every single amendment offered.

The action marked the first time since the adoption of the Volstead Act that either branch of Congress had held a vote directly on the issue of relaxing the fundamental Prohibition enforcement law.

The Chamber was crowded during the progress of the call, the galleries being sprinkled with representatives of “wet” and “dry” organizations. The Bill now goes to the Senate. NEW RESOLUTION 18th AMENDMENT IMPERILLED. Washington, December 21. The tentative draft of a resolution to imperil the Eighteenth Amendment emerged to-day from a United States Senate Judiciary. Drafted as a basis for discussion and not necessarily representing the views of the committee, it would give Congress power to prevent the return of the saloons.