Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1915-04-13
LOCAL OPTION BILL
TOBE REPORTED OUT
OF COMMITTEE TODAY
Real Fight Over Measure
in the House Will Prob
ably Come Next Tuesday
Morning, When 1t Is Up
for Second Reading.
trRoM 4 STAFF coRRrsroxpEyrl

| HARRISBURG. April 13-The williams
Local Option bill will be reported out by
the Law and Order Committee OF the
House today. The stage has been set for
this action, and all opposition to the
measure in committee has been with
drawn In order to bring the bill on the
floor of the House, where the question
| will be fought out.
The fight over the bill will take place
when the measure comes up in the House
on second reading. The bill will prob
ably be made a special order on second
reading for Ii O'Clock next Tuesday morn
ing.
plan to have the measure called up
for second reading this week became
known last night, but it is not expected
to materiallze. The opponents of the bill
want the question disposed of this week,
II possible. The Republican Organization
leaders, however, have agreed not to OPP
pose Governor Brumbaugh's program re-
Sardng the measure, so there is little
chance of the plan to have the bill come
up on second reading next Tuesday going
wrong.
PRESSURE ON WARE.
Strong pressure Is being brought to bear
again upon Senator Ware to have him
come out in favor of local option, and
thus align himself politically with Gov
ernor Brumbaugh. This renewal of a
movement that was started three years
ago followed the admission made last
night by the liquor interests that two,
and possibly three, of the Philadelphia
members of the House would vote for the
Williams bill.
The liquor lobby has conceded that two
of the Philadelphians are not on their
list These are Representatives Walsh
and William II. Wilson, Ware floor lead
er in the House. They also admitted
that Representative Edwin r. Cox, an
other Ware member, might vote for the
bill. Several other Ware representatives
they added, who personally favor local
option, may dodge the issue entirely
when the bill comes up next Tuesday, by
either absenting themselves or not Vot-
ing.
Senator Ware continues to maintain his
silence regarding local option, and Is
still leaving ii to his followers in the
House to vote as they wish. without any
pressure one way or another from him.
Since the liquor interests made thetr
concession, however,-dnd 1t is the first
they have yet made so far as
the Philadelphia delegation is concerned
efforts that were unavailing during the
last three weeks have been renewed, and
the downtown Philadelphia leader is being
urged to come out in favor of local option.
Senator Ware controlled % of the Al
of the Philadelphia delegation in
the House when the caucus on the Speak
ership was held in Philadelphia. If he
could swing these same members into line
for the bill the measure would pass the
House.
The House Law and Order Committee
today in addition to reporting out the
local option bill. will take def |
mite action on several other liquor bills |
now before that committee. The resolu- |
ton proposing Statewide prohibition will |
be acted upon, among the other measures. |
A public hearing OH the bill for the |
of liquor dealers whose |
business is destroyed through local option, |
will be held before the Law and Order |
Committee within the next two weeks.
D, Clarence Gibboney, president Of the
Law and Order Society of Philadelphia,
will appear at the hearing. The bill was
introduced at his request.