The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1920-03-12

molten III Fsssintlsh - So a1r
ia W unAnlIssut votS. Il.
Hon, FfAAt ~. stiytA. stats 70
oountAat reported 70 the commit
that he had made I complete audit
the prohibition department: and thI
the method OF accounting for the saI
Of ardent spirits had been approved I
him and that the method Of accountlsI
for the appror1 lations to the depAr
ment had been devised and approv{
by him: and that he had examined q
OF the vouchers and that the account
of the department checked out VII
absolute accuracy.
I. Your committee therefore repUrI
their findings as follows:
{a) That the accounts OF the dcpAr
ment have been accurately kept q
cording to the methods devised ar
approved by the state accountant.
tb) That the law does not requi |
the department to keep a separate a
count Of the arrests, convictions ar
fines instigated by local officers as|
by the officers of the department |
prohibition.
tc) That no charges were preferr,
against the prohibition departmc
before the committee.
,partment that were presented Ia
been satisfactorily answered
te) That no charge of criticism "
made before the COMMITTEES afrectif,
the personal integrity, business =
pacjty or Christian character Of III
head OF the department Of pFohihif3e
Or. J. Sidney Peters.
Respectfully submitted this tina II
day Of March, 1890.
Delegates w. C. Hall and w.
Joyce, who offered the resolution cal
Ing for the Investigation. asked tn
the following letter--declining to
present or to make any charges
made part Of the report. which q
house adopted.
AS two Of the patrons OF the res
luton calling for an Investigation
the state prohibition department.. u
der which you have been appointed
we desire to advise that after an
formal conference with the patrc4
of this resolution, that we are OF
decided opinion. that any investfEI
ton at this late day In the sessit
cannot be as thorough as we would d
sire. and that therefore we shall n F
appear before your committee.
Frankly. the resolution was he
up in the senate. and passed during II,
dying days OF the session when |
was too late to conduct the tAorous|
and complete investigation for Wild
II provided. Briefly. the facts al
these, The resolution. carrying I'll
names of twenty-eight patrons, passs|
the house and was transmitted to I'll
senate on February 90. There II r
manned buried until 1t was mail
resurrected and passed with amend
ments on March .. 1t was then tran
mitted to the house and on the foliow|
ing day this body agreed to the sena
amendments. In view Of the fact N. /
more than two weeks have passs|
since the passage Of this resolution u
the house. during the greater PORTED
OF which time II was held up In til
senate BY friends OF the department
and especially In view of the fact tn, |
only five days remain within which Il
conduct and make report OF the nj
sible to conduct the thorough invest
cation for which the resolution pr.
vided. We feel that we have been vii
dictated to some extent through n
nomination by the caucus Of Anoth,
than the present head Of tbs depar
ment. and not desiring to further pre-
the matter under such conditions
shall be closed az far as our appea
ance before your committee IL COZ
cerned.
Sincerely yours.
"w. L. JOYCE. 4
WILBUR c. HALL"