The Evening statesman. [volume] (Walla Walla, Wash.) 1903-1910, 1907-03-06
And.Cigarette Forces Busy at The
Olympia Lobby
WANT SENATE TO PASS MEASURE
BYERLY'S BILL is UP FOR coNsI
DERATioN IN THE HOUSE OF
MATURE DELlBERATioN.

OLYMPIA, March 6.-Byerly's anti
cigarette bill, which passed the house
with but two negative votes, was re-
ported for general file in the senate by
the senate committee on commerce and
manufacture
Byerly's bill as it passed the house
prevents manufacture or sale in thes
state of cigarettes or cigarette paper,
and it makes it unlawful to keep or
own, or be in any way concerned, en-
gagged or employed in owning or keep
ing any such cigarette, cigarette paper
or wrappers While the bill goes on
general file in the senate under present
plans, a fight will be made to amend it
by cutting out the words quoted in or
der to remove the possibility that a
man could be punished for having a
cigarette or cigarette paper in his
pocket. eAnother amendment that will
probably be made is to provide that it
shall go into effect six months hence.
This is to prevent loss to dealers who
have large stocks.
Seeks to Protect Boys.
Mrs. Margaret B. Plat, state presi-
dent of the w. c. T. u, and Mrs. Mar
garet Munns, state secretary of that
organization, appeared before the COM
mittee on commerce and manufactures
to ask for a favorable report on the
Byerly bill. Mr.. Byerly also made a
speech, and Rev, Wallace r. StruDle,
general superintendent Of the Interna-
tional Anti Cigarette league, told of the
forces behind anti-cigarette legislation.
His plea was especially for the protec-
ton of boys and young men. He said
any measure that would result in this
would be satisfactory to his organiZa-
ton.
If the committe could not report the
Byerly bill favorably he offered sub
stitute which he asked the committee
to report. This substitute makes the
penalties very severe for selling cigar
cites to any person under y ar
rested for smoking a cigarette in any
public place shall not be punished if he
pI OuuCtS tiIc tIlil Solu Hlll VI
gave him the cigarette.
Mr.. Struble thinks that with public
sentiment behind it the substitute bill
might do a great deal of good.
Mrs Plat of the w. c. T. U. made a
plea for the boys. She thought the
rights of tobacco dealers were not to
be compared with the rights Of the
boys health and cleanliness of mind.
Appeals to the Men.
She thought it a small thing for the
men to give up when they have tobacco
in other forms to smoke. Mrs. Munn's
argument was along the same line.
B. P. DOty, attorney for the Anti
Saloon league, was present, but did not
speak
While Senator Condor and some of
the other members of the committee on
commerce and manufactures make
cigarettes, they decided not to recon-
mend the bill for indefinite postpone
ment. If the Byerly bill goes on gen.
eral file members of the committee will
probably afterward try to have the
words cut out that make it violation
to keep or own" cigarettes.
1t is brought out tonight that the
Byerly bill follows very closely the In
diana law passed two years ago. The
Indiana law made it a crime to keep
or own This was intended to prev
ent anyone from having a cigarette
paper in his possession, but the courts
of Indiana construed it to refer to the
dealer and not to the individual, so
the Indiana smoker imports his cigar
cites in original packages from other
states.
Senator Piper also appeared before
the committee tonight to argue against
the passage of any bill that would in
terfere with the liberty of a grown
man.