Bismarck daily tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1881-1916, 1915-06-23
Great Progress Is Made
In Prohibition Legislation
General Summary Made by Associated Pres, Of Laws Regulating
Sale Of Liquar in United States.

Inc Associated PreSS or LEGISLATIVE
activity this year in the state Law
making bodies OF the country, mos
Of which have adjourned for the sum
imer, shows that among the subject'
which received notable attention wa
that OF the prohibition or the regnla
ton Of the liquor traffic.
The legislatures OF two states en-
acted statutory prohibition to become
effective this year, and eight voted tt
submit the question Of statewide pro
hibilion to. a referendum OF the peo
pie. or the latter, two established
statutory prohibition to become eff
fective IN the meantime. Four states
whore prohibition is already passed
additional restrictive laws and two o.
the five states. where, under consti
t~utional amendment, prohibition is tc
40 into effect next year, enacted he
cessary statutes for its enforcement
In six so-called wet states, state
wide licensing were acted upon.
Submitted 20 Vote.
The two states where direct prohi
bitional laws were passed are Florida
and Alabama. Those legislatures vot'
ed TO submit the question 10 the PEG
pie are Idaho, Iowa. Montana. SoufE
Carolina, South Dakota, Utah, Ecr'
mont and he territory Of ALASKA. In
Iowa. the legislative resolution, &C.
cOrding to the state constitution, must
be passed by the next succeeding leg,
islature, before the people canvote on
it, but the STATE returned to statutory
prohibition meanwhile. through the
repeal OF the so.called mulct law.
Idaho was also made dry mean
while through statutory enactment.
IN Utah the bill was vetoed by the
Governor after the Legislature ad-
.iourned. In South Carolina, the vote
will be taken at the election this
year, in Montana, South Dakota, Yer
mont and Alaska in 1916; Idaho in
1917.
1t will be thus seen that as a meas
ure OF the progress Of the cause OF
prohibition the fifteen states already
in the ranks have this year been en-
forced by four and the legislative way
cleared for four others, including Alas
ka, to join. In the latter event near
ly half the country will have placed
the ban on the liquor traffic.
The new Florida law goes into ef-
feet October 1 and prohibits the sale
Of alcoholic beverages except in seal
ed packages of less than one-half pint
each, nor can liquor be drunk on the
premises where sold. This applies to
restaurants, hotels and clubs as we'll
as saloons.
The Alabama law was passed over
the vota of Governor Henderson. 1t
becomes operative July l. In add.
tio1.. the legislature enacted an anti
shipping to an individual of more
than one gallon of liquor or 60 bottles
CT beer a month. Its validity was TAX
en- to the supreme court for test.
There was also passed. over the gov.
ernof's veto, an act forbidding the
publication Of liquor advertisements
III newspaper and periodicals, on bill
boards or in saloons. This was also
taken to the courts. III
Repeal on Mulct Law.
III Iowa. the repeal aof the mluct
law. under which communities by a
majority petition we're allowed to
have saloons operated under a mulct
tax, had the effect OF returning the
state to the statutory prohibition
which prevailed prior to the laws en-
acted twelve years ago. Content
neither with this or the passage OF
the resolution for a constitutional pro-
hibition amendment, the legislature
also enacted eleven prohibition en-.
forcement bills.
In adopting statutory prohibition,
pending the constitutional amendment
vote, Idaho enacted a provision cond.
ceded to be more drastic than any
ever attempted in the United States.
1t makes even ownership Of liquor a
misdemeanor. and on second offense,
a felony. %s ~S
The Montana legislature decided 10
refer the question to the people, at
the 1916 eelction, in the form of a
statute, after rejecting a proposed
constitutional amendment vote. The
law would permit the use Of wine for
sacramental purposes and in lodge
ceremonial work. If approved, it will
become effective Dec. 81, 1918. In
connection with the measure, the leg
islature enacted early closing and
Sunday slosing laws for the saloons.
The general assembly of South Car.
DINA took up a large part of its SEES
sion in discussing prohibition. Be
sides drafting a statewide law for
submission to a referendum at the ell
ecticn of September -, 1915, the as
sembly enacted a statute which
makes effective in the state the provi-
sions Of the Webb-Kenyon federal act
against the shipment of liquor from
wet" to dry" territory, South Caro-
limo being now local option. The sta.
tute also forbids the shipment OF
more than one gallon Of alcoholic II.
quors to any one person in the state
during any one month.
The South Dakota legislature de-
cided to submit a statewide consti'
tutional amendment to the general ell
ection in 1916. II carried by a major
ity Of the votes cast, it will become
effective July l, 1917.
The statewide prohibition measure
which the governor Of Utah vetoed
sitter the adjournment OF. the Ngisla'
ture Of that state had been passed BY
large majorities IN both houses. The
legislature, however, placed on tht
statute books a law modelled after the
Webb-Kenyon law and imposing
heavy penalties for the shipment o.
liquor from wet" to dry territory
81 the state.