Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1919-01-30
R. P. Hutton Asks Legislature to
Pass Legislation.
PRESENT LAWS TO STAND
Head of Anti-Liquor League Says
Matter of Enforcing Prohibition
Should Not Be Left Wholly
to Government.
BY FRED l.. HOLMES.

Anti-SalOOn league to pass stringent
enforcement laws now that the federal
prohibition amendment has been adopt
ed. Superintendent r. 2. Hutton be-
lieves that the matter of enforcing
this law should not be left to the
federal government alone, but that the
state should take a hand in the mat
attorneys in several Western states
during the past week and a measure is
being drafted with real teeth in it,
The present Wisconsin liquor laws
will not be repealed at this session of
the Legislature. The legislature will
be asked to leave these laws on the
statute books, although most Of them
will be obsolete, until another session
can determine the exact effect Of fed
eral prohibition.
eve are going to have the WiscOn-
sin legislature define in definite terms
what liquor is, so that people will not
be able to buy medicine SO as to OBJ
tain their liquor" said superintendent
r. 2. Hutton today. "One of the big
gest tasks Of the present Legislature
will be the enactment Of u sane, but
effective enforcement law that will
carry out the idea of federal prohibit
tiOn."
There were usually from fifty to fiji
ty-five bills before every session of the
legislature, touching on every phase of
the liquor issue. Now the excise and
fees committee Of the legislature,
which usually considered these meas
ures, is sitting around waiting for
some bill on the subject to be intro
duced. More hot arguments occurred
before the excise committees at pre-
vious sessions than any other commit
tee. Practically the only bill in sight
for this committee to now consider will
be the proposed enforcement measure.
Assemblyman j. c. Hanson Of the
Second district Of Dane county wants
to find out why the price of tobacco
has tumbled since the opening of the
world markets with the signing of the
armistice. On Tuesday he offered
resolution in the Wisconsin legislature
pointing out that during the fall of
1918 tobacco was selling at 40 cents
pound, and with the signing of the
armistice it has dropped to 20 cents
pound. His resolution is to ask the
federal trade commission to furnish
report on the subject.
AS head of the Wisconsin Tobacco
Growers association, Assemblyman
Hanson is one Of the best-knOWn men
in the tobacco industry, and the dis
trict of Dane county, which he repre-
sents in the legislature, is one Of the
largest tobacco centers in the United
States. He has called meeting of
the tobacco growers at Madison Satur-
day, February /, to discuss the tobacco
problems.
ton:
''Whereas, during the fall of 1918
the price Of tobacco was approximate
ly 40 cents per pound at time when
all the markets Of the central powers
and most of the markets of the neu-
trail powers were not being supplied;
and
whereas, upon the cessation of
hostilities and continuing to the pres
ent time, the price Of this product
dropped to 20 cents per pound, not
withstanding the fact that world com
merce had opened up and the tobacco
markets of Europe were waiting to be
supplied; and
"Whereas, the tobacco farmers of
Wisconsin, while Of the opinion that
such a decline in the price Of their
product is not justified by existing
conditions, desire investigation to be
properly Informed so that if such de-
cline is based upon good reasons that
continued good relations may exist be-
tween buyers and seller; and
"Whereas, the matter is of the most
serious consequences to all business
interests in our state, due to the fact
that the decline in price, if continued,
would mean a loss of approximately
$S,0OOO00 to the producers; now,
therefore. be it
Resolved by the assembly, the SEN
ate concurring, that the federal trade
commission be respectfully requested
to at once investigate the conditions of
the tobacco industry and to make re-
port to the present legislature with all
convenient speed, such investigation
and report to be of such nature as to
fully advise the tobacco producer of
the true causes of the present market
conditions; and be it further
"Resolved, that copy of this reso-
luton be forwarded to the chairman
of said commission at Washington, D.
c., to each of the two senators and
the congressman from this state
For some unaccountable reason
fewer bills have been offered so far at
this session of the legislature than at
any previous session. About ten days
remain for the introduction of bills by
individual members. The old mem
bers of the legislature believe that this
is sure sign that Wisconsin is going
to have q short session Of the legiSla-