MAKING A CHANGE

Taranaki Daily News, 30 November 1932, Page 5

MAKING A CHANGE

PROHIBITION AND AMERICA. What the sweeping Democratic victory in the United States will mean along the' prohibition front .was explained to the Dominion by Mr. Norton Clapp, an American lawyer from Tacoma, Washington, who arrived by the Maunganui from Sydney. Mr. Clapps account of the position was in accord with the normal constitutional procedure. He made it dear that the Volstead Act could first be altered, and that Lhe repeal of the 18th Amendment itself, if it came to pass, would take some time to accomplish. _ . “While the election of Mr. Roosevelt rather indicates a national tendency away from prohibition,” Mr. Clapp saic *’ “the election of a Democratic President alone, or even of a Democratic Congress, will not serve to repeal the constitutional , amendment. The Congress which is now in session is the ‘hang-over Congress which will'last - until March next. The new President comes in then and he has fee right to call a special session of Congress. If he calls this fecial session of the new Congress, which is predominantly of his own party, then that Congress can modify, the Volstead Act,' which defines what is intoxicating liquor. That may mean the raising of the limiting percentage of alcohol from one-half of one per cent, to some higher figure—say, 2J per cent. . ‘‘However, as far as amenaing the constitution or doing away with the ,18th Amendment is concerned, that can only be done by an Act of Congress, which has to be ratified by three-quarters of the States. The repeal would be a very lengthy business, but in any case they cannot do anything about .the Volstead Act until March. Of course, there is the chance , that the enforcement m the meantime may not be so strict. As a matter of interest Dr. Clapp mentioned that the last Congress had passed an Act, which was now being ratified by many of the States, providing for the elimination of the so-called “hang-ovei Congress, or “lame duck” session, and the immediate assumption of office by the newly-elected Congress. There was provision also for a newly-elected President to take office in the January following the election instead of in March. General elections, he remarked, were always held in November.