Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1917-02-16
BUSINESS MEN OUTLINE
STAND ON D. c. DRY BILL
Board of Trade Representatives Urge
Referendum Before House
Committee.

The attitude of the Board of Trade
on the Sheppard -Barkley dry" District
bill was explained briefly to the House
committee on the District of Colum bia
today by c. ]. Goeckler and Odell S.
to be in favor of a referendum vote by
the people of the city.
Mr.. Smith, a member of the board of
directors of the Board of Trade made
it clear the organization has not favor
ed either the liquor dealers and manu-
facturers or the persons who are agi-
tating prohibition, but that the board
desires merely that the Distrfctr have
the opportunity to vote on the ISSUE
In addition, the committee heard the
nti-prohibition appeal of Andrew c.
Hughes OF Newton Highlands. Mass.
president of the CooperS' International
Union of North America.
Mr.. Goeckler, the first speaker, pre-
sented to the committee a copy of the
Board of Trade resolution favoring a
referendum. and in colloquy which
followed Representative Mapes, an an
nounced dry committeeman, asked:
DO you wish a referendum on the
liquor question because you fear Con-
gress will not meet your views?"
Several members of the committee
M II.
Representative Hamill interjected the
statement that people here want a ref
erendum on all matters. including taxa
ton. Representative Mapes asked
whether Mr.. Goeckler favors woman
suffrage for such referendum as the
Board of Trade urged.
You gentlemen are having a lot of
trouble yourselves with the woman suf-
frage question: answered Mr.. Goeck-
Ter, laughing.
Mr. Hrpbac 10 conparr, union pro.;
dent representing, he said, 10000 men
in twenty-siX states, protested against
the passage of sumptuary laws which
affect the coopers' right to work and
live"
Admiral Urges Referendum.
Rear Admiral George W. Baird, U. S.
N. retired. appeared before the COM
mittee as an advocate of a referendum
Il am here at the request of some of
the members of the Cosmos Club" said
Admiral Baird. although the club has
not taken official action on this mat
ter. l am in favor of a referendum.
Prohibition legislation is drastic. Ii
you are going to put a man down. it is
better to lay him down than to knock
him down"
The admiral said he believed that tenn
perance could be effected upon a heavy
taxation on distilled llquor, while beer
and light wines should be only lightly
taxed. He claimed that drunkenness in
this country has materially diminished
since the breweries have become SO
common.
Barry Bulkley, who said he has lived
in Washington all his life, told the COM
mittee that he also spoke for some of
the Cosmos Club members, but that the
club is not interested and that the bar
at that place is not run at a profit
citizenship transcends any question
of prohibition" said Mr.. Bulkley
Within a week we will celebrate the
birthday of a man from whom this
city takes it's name. who gave to US
the priceless Inheritance of liberty and
a vote. | beg members of this COM
mlttee not to return to their constitu-
ents and say they have forced this
legislation upon the District of Column
bia without giving the people here a
participation in their own government"