Evening capital and Maryland gazette. (Annapolis, Md.) 1910-1922, 1918-01-23
HEAVY BLOWS DEALT
ON JOHN DARLEYCORN
"Wets" And "Drys" Heard By
house Temperance Committee
SOON To REPORT BILL
Repeal Of Wilson Ballot Law Among
Other Measures Now Going
Through LegisIature

=
yesterday afternoon in a hearing be-
fore the House Committee on Temper
ance.
George ". Crabbe, superintendent
OF the Anti-Saloon League, spoke in
behalf OF the ratification OF the fed
eraI amendment TO the Constitution.
Congressman Jacob E. Meeker, Re-
publican. OF St. Louis. spoke for the
Personal Liberty League, against rati-
flcafion OF the amendment.
Prominent members OF the Anti
saloon League present included Rev.
DR.. ]. Fred Heisse. State President;
Joshua Levering, John n. Parker,
Daniel Baker and J. Bib Mills.
Charles Schanberger, President Of the
Personal Liberty League, headed q
large delegation OF members Of that
body
Mr. Crabbe opened and closed the
argument. Congressman Meeker spoke
for over an hour and delivered tell
ing blows for his side. During his
speech he offered Mr. Crabbe $40 if
MIR. Crabbe would point out passage
III the Bible in favor OF prohibition.
The offer was not accepted.
The committee will report the bill
favorably today or tomorrow, and
then the real fight will begin.
IN his opening address Mr.. Crabbe
said:
IF the pending amendment to the
Constitution is ratified by SO States. it
viii forever prohibit the manufacture,
sale and distribution OF liquor The
saloon is without defenders. 1t is un-
necessary for me to present argu-
ments against saloons. Every mem
Der Of this committee knows the evils
OF the saloon
There have been IL amendments
to the Federal Constitution. Each has
been ratified by legislatures without
referendum. Former Attorney Cen
eral Wickersham objects to that part
Of the amendment which provides for
concurrent legislation by Congress
and state legislatures for enforcement
Of the amendment. We have believed
that such action is necessary in or
der that the prohibitory law may be
enforced Mr. Wickersham is a cap
able corporation lawyer, but he is
not competent to speak on liquor
laws. We believed the Webb-Kenyon
Law to be unconstitutional, but the
United States Supreme Court decid-
ed Otherwise
Would Eliminate Middle Man.
Senator Norris, of Baltimore City,
introduced his bill providing for the
appointment of a State director Of
farm products, at a salary of $4,000
per annum, whose duty it will be to
act as intermediary between the pro-
Queer and consumer In explaining
his measure Senator Norris said:
This bill is designed primarily to
decrease the present ever increasing
cost of living by establishing a me-
dunn Of direct exchange between the
farmer or grower and the consumer,
so the the producer may receive
more for his products and the con-
sumner gain the advantage Of a cheaper
price. 1t is proposed to accomplish
this by cutting out all of the waste
and loss between the time the prod
ucts leave the farmers until they
reach the consumer. Nearly all of
the profit on foodstuffs today goes to
the non-productive class, the middle
man, in many instances the con
sumer pays five to ten times the
amount the grower receives.
Under this BILL the goods will be
received by the State, and sold at cost,
plus q small commission to make the
market self-sustaining. Later on, if
this affairs proves a success, it is my
idea to establish a great warehouse
and cold storage plant, State-owned
and State-operated, whereby farm
products and fish, poultry, eggs and
butter might be preserved and sold to
the people at the right time. thus
preventing waste in times of plenty
and shortage in times Of scarcity.
Besides his salary, the commission
err is to be paid his expenses, and he
may also employ such assistants
whose compensation he shall fix, with
the approval of the Governor
Wilson Repeater Bill Up.
In the House last night there was
sharp debate over the repeal of the
so-called Wilson Ballot Law, which
the Republicans were about to send
to the third reading, despite a fight
by the Democrats to limit the repeal
er to the declaration Of intention act.
An amendment to that effect was Of
fered by Mr.. Clagett, Democrat, of
Prince Georges. The vote was 35 to
80 in favor of the Republicans.
Admitting that the old Wilson bal
lot law had been used for unfair pur-
poses. Mr.. Benson, the Democratic
leader, and others contended that the
only difference between the present
so-called Wilson law and that apply
ing to the balance of the State lay
almost entirely in the fact that no
party designations are allowed under
the former and they thought this fea-
ture Of the Wilson law should be ex-
tended to the entire State rather than
repealed
Bar Association Bills.
In the House last night Mr. Melvin.
OF Anne Arundel. introduced a series
Of bills approved by the Maryland Bar
Association. These bills relate to evil
dences, processes, practice of law, etc
One bill provides for submitting an
A.