Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1920-02-09
ARRAY FORCES FOR STRIFE
QUESTION OF ABOLISHING
n DRY OFFICE TO BE DECIDED
Gfipin Resolution &" he Taken Up To-
&s> morrow in House Suffrage
-asissl4 Coming In.

Question OF whether the Office OF Com
missioner Peters shall be abolished or
be retained. and woman Suffrage viii
again hold the center Of the Virginia
Legislative stage this week.
.Abolition or retention OF the pro-
hibition department VIII, in nj! !kel!-
hood. he determined tomorrow, thu
Gi)pin resolution, calling for abolition.
having been made a special and con-
:inuins order Tor the morning hour.
The stage - all set Tor the tight, and
the debate Is expected 10 he spirited.
Fate o; ;he Susan II. Anthony Fed
decided when the senate. by = de-
cisive action. lSlted the hopes OF pro-
ponen,s Of woman suffrage. interest
now centers principally on the pro
hibition question. and the gallery o.:
the House is expected 10 he Allied TO
It's capacity when the iigh; begins.
Two Sides Fortified.
Both proponents and opponents OF
themselves with statistical data. ami
the verbal battle promises to be worth
tho while.
While the opposing forces arc ex-
pected to exhaust every argument why
the department; should or should NOT
be abolished, It begins 10 look rs
with something in the nature OF 4
compromise, legislators says. Severai
measures Of this MATURE are in rcadi :
the department in one year. eighteen
months and two years respectively.
The The, "drys" apparsn,iy hay DIES,
PC continued indefinitely. without any
find OF provision for its abolition.
and will offer amendments to the Mapp
law which would extend tho 'oiiicial
life OF Commissioner Peters and his
staff until September !. 1922. A.
measure TO this effect has been pre-
pared by DELEGATE parkc +. D.anes.
or Isle OF Wight. and probably will
be offered as a substitute for the
whole when the fight opens tomorrow
shortly after noon.
Consider Compromise.
The vets" on the other hand. ;,rr
understood 10 have all but abandoned
hope that the General Assembly will
vote to abolish the a!!ice Immediately.
and are prepared to introduce measures
which would terminate the department
September l. 1921.
hinge not SO much on whether the
department is TO he abolished iminedi-
ately as on whether 1t shall he granted
lease on life until September 1921,
or September. 1922.
An argument that is expected 10 be
used by the abolitionists is the APP
of prohibition to furnish the General
Assembly with certain information as
to the activities of his agents and in
spectore. demanded in 4 resolution Of
Tered by Delegate Gibson, OF Culpeper
and which has been reported out fav-
orably by the House Committee on
Expect Quick Action.
Favorable action on the L-aedy Joint
resolution calling for rejection OF the
susan Ii. Anthony Fedcari sufrra 90
amendment having been taken by the
House Committee - Federal Rela-
tons. the lower branch is expected
10 lose no time in sending 70 it's final
resting place the measure which has
Tor its purpose the cnfranchisemen,
of women.
Extended debate on the suffrage
question In the House is not expected
and advocates OF the Federal amend.
ment probably will know their TAT,
netore the dinner hour "Wednesday
Motion that the question be made :
special and continuing order for .ht
morning hour Wednesday. is cxpcci ed
10 be made today.
Members Of the House, as was tn,
case with the majority OF the upper
branch, are known to be unaltera bly
opposed to what they consider an in.
,Ssn OF States rights and the An.
cnfSny amendment is expected to re.
serve scant consideration at the hand,
o. the lower body.