The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1918-02-14
COMMISSIONER PETERS
ASK CHANGES IN LAW
support Of Mapp Bill Amending
Dry Statute.
MORE AUTHORITY NEEDED.
Right OF Officers TO Enter SailrOad
Yards In Search For Bootleggers
Not Sufficiently CIear--A'ool Room
Bill Reported.


Bin Reported.
After making a favorable recon-
mendation on the bin closing pool
rooms to all minors. the senate com
mittee or moral and social welfare
last evening took up the Mapp bill
amending the prohibition laws OF the
state
Dr. J. Sidney Peters tho prohibit
ton commissioner, explained the pro-
visions Of the proposed measure, say
ing that tho people of the state de-
nanded that the one-quart-a month
provision Of the law should be Etrtck
en- out. There was a request from q
few sections for the retention OF
that clause, but az the Reed law had
put IN end to II he saw no reason for
It's retention. Besides. II would mean
absolutely nothing and would require
much explanation.
Answering questions. he said that
since the Reed law became effective
the sale Of stamps In his departm ent
had deer eased from $4,000 q month to
about $500 During the time that the
prohibition depa rtufent had been in
operation about 5000. 900 worth OF II"
quor. At normal prices. had been con
fscated. and at this time there waa
on hand about $4,000 worth. Much
Of this WAS the cheapest and mean
est OF liquor.
DR.. Peters said that TO make tho
law effect IL would be necessary 10
make some provision for the handling
of patent medicines, favoring ex-
tracts, toilet preparations and anti
septics. He favored tho putting Of
tax on ch Of the dealers in these
articles In order that q. general SUI
pervision Of them might be had. and
the same thing should apply TO soft
drink sellers He believed that II
would be well TO have the prohibition
commission vested with power to re-
woke these licenses for cause. az he
Dhad several cases where the courts
had refused to revoke licenses when IL
was known that the dealer was en-
gagged In Illegal traffic. He said thai
one mayor ir Il small town in the
state was in revolt against the law
and while he had not yet invoked
the provisions Of the Custer law he
believed that he had good right to
40 SO. He said that by giving the com
missioner broad powers in the mat
ter disreputahla places could and
would be put out or business,
Taking up the matter q extending
the right ~ officers 10 enter railroad
yards and to search for bootleggers
DR. Peters said that the bootieggers
were active and that they were COM
ing to the city on every train from
the North. and coming over the Rich
mond. Fredericksburg and Potomac
railroad. In one or two instances the
conductors and ageHnasters had
BEEN surly and iusolent, and some OF
the railroad employees had actually
ordered the officers Off the railroad
property BY close cooperation with
the federal governmept. however, he
believed that the matter OF putting
this element ont Of business was not
far dista Mt. but they would have 70 be
watched
Taking up the matter OF eliminnt-
ing the law regarding wineries, DR.
Peters said that the law had put
them out or business, and where the
nrohioitionists had been told thai
there was but single bonded ware
house in the state they had discovered
several. and there had been scandals
connected with some Of sheTn, They
had gone out OF business. however
Referring 70 tire action or some OF
the corporations In dsfying the laws
or interfering with the officers, DR.
/ Peters said that he was convinced
| that some ~ them In Virginia had
the idea that they were greater than
the state Itself
The committee then took UP. TIE
Law as proposed In the bill. consider
ing the sections sertatim There was
| one change, the section dealing wftF
the amount Of alcohol that pstten'
may get on one prescription being
raised To two quarts The quart fo'
medicinal purposes was raised from
pint on one prescription
There was objection 10 the clause
which required "a tax on the dea lsrs
| In toilet articles. favoring extracts
| and patent medicines and the like, a.
| also 10 the section which vested the
commissioner with power 10 revoke
the license OF dealer for infrac
! ton Of the Law and arording ne
chance 10 appeal from that decision
OF the commissioner. The DISPOSE
ton was 70 refrain from imposing
| the tax,
The proposition to impose ths
q. Atty cents on druggists and hos
rttals everv time they place an order
| for liquor. for which they must get =
rermit. created a little discussion anc
was temporarily passed by. The com
a1ittee will meet again today and re-
sumo consideration Of The measure
Durina the hearing. Or. PettsS said
that the blind tigers were comint
down the valley turnpike sally, and
that at Fredericksburg several OF tbs
"ay by nights had been blocked by
the washing away OF bridge, anc
with their loads OF whiskey hey were
tstalled. II may he that arrests vii
10 reported from that city ny reason
Of the conditions.