New-York tribune., 1918-03-25
Drys Still Expect
Ratification of
Bone-Dry Measure
Leader Thinks This Legis-
lature Will Finally Put
1t Through
Big Fight This Week
Both Sides Prepare; Light
Wine and Beer Bill
Up Tuesday
| .Sfdf Correspondence |


ALBANY, March - Another week
of fighting between thc vets and the
drys will begin when the Legislature
rcconvcncs tomorrow night. The bill
prohibiting the sale Of all Intoxicating
beverages except light wines and per
cent beer after December 81 will be on
the Senate calendar in tho order of
second reading, but it is probable that
| action on it will be deferred until
Tuesday.
While the legislative leaders declare
that there is no nope OF the drys rally
ing enough votes to bring about ratii
cation of tho proposed bonc-dry amend
mcnt to the Federal Constitution by
this Legislature, Senator William II.
Hill, of Broome County, who has led
the fight of the drys, declared tonight
that ratification was not only possible,
but highly probable before the session
ended.
II believe that VIC will got sufficient
votes III the Senate to restore the
amended Hill -McNab resolution rati-
lying the proposed Federal amendment
to its original form said Senator Hill.
Once that is done VIC can adopt the
resolution in the Senate and send it to
the Assembly for adoption"
Ihls resolution WAS amended by the
Assembly two weeks ago when it trans
formed the measure into a referendum
submitting to the people the question
! as to whether the Legislature Of 1919
should ratify the Federal bone day
amendment. When this was done the
drys moved to postpone the question
indefinitely, a motion which was car
RED by an overwhc Inning vote. This
action committed the Assembly to
policy of hands off on the whole mat
ter unless it was brought before it in
the form Of Senate message. This is
what the drys arc now planning to do
10 Oppose State Amendment
The drys also plan to defeat the
resolution proposing a bone dry amend
ment to the State Constitution when
il reaches the lower house This
measure was adopted by the Senate On
" ednesday. The drys lined up solilly
against 1T. but were ouivotcd. This
resolution has been stigmatizcd by the
Grys as a crooked liquor scheme
OF the three prohibition measures
now before the Legislature. the only
one that is at all likely to pass is the
light wine and beer bill. AS things
stand now, its enactment into law is
insured. The vets from the rural dis
tricts and the drys are openly behind
the measure, and the Anti-Saloon
League has approved it, The only OPP
position to it comes from the Demo
Gratis.
The drys will attempt to amend this
measure by striking out the clause
limiting the trafficking in alcoholic bcv-
erages to light wines and 9 per cent
beer. This, of course, would make the
bill bone-dry measure, and any such
effort. in the opinion of the legislative
leaders, is doomed to failure.
Prohibition has relegated all the
other important issues before the Leg
islature to positions of relatively minor
Importance Among them are the fight
to restore the party convention system
of selecting candidates for the bench
and state offices, the township school
law, municipal ownership and the
So3,00O,0O0 annual appropriation bill.
Appropriation Bill Up
Consideration of the las named is
set for to-morrow night in the AS
sembly 1t will be taken up in the
Senate probably on Wednesday. This
always affords an opportunity for the
minority party leaders to wage war
on the majority, and Senator Robert
F. Wagner and Asscmblyman Charles
D. Donohuc the Democratic floor lead
ers, announced tonight that they would
oppose the bill.
In a statement jointly issued tonight
by Senator Wagner and Assemblyman
Donohue, they declare that "thc bill
is full Of jokes and iokers.'
"The bill the statement continues,
'provides for multitude Of sinecure
places and overpaid stipendiaries. 1t
could be reduced by many millions
without hurting anybody or anything
that ought not to be hurt
The Wagner-Donohue bin to prevent
proftcering in foodstuffs by fixing the
margin of profit, which has been passed
by the Senate, is on Tuesdays calendar
in the Assembly.