The New York herald., 1922-01-28
LUSK JOINS DRYS
ON 'TRPLET BILLS
Enforcement Now Only Ques-
ton, Declares State Senate
Leader.
MAY ELIMINATE JURIES
Local Ordinance Feature and
Summary Trials Feared
by the Vets.
MAY ELIMINATE JURIEs

Special Dispatch to THE New YORK HERALD
New York Herald Bureau.
Albany, Jan. 27.
The drys have won the first skirnish
in their fight for stricter enforcement
Of prohibition in this State. With the
announcement to-day by Clayton r.
Lusk. majority leader of the Senate,
that he is back of the "triplet bills
presented by the drys, the Anti-Saloon
ship for its cause. Lusk made 1t clear
he took this stand individually and not
as leader. Nevertheless. 1t Is a decided
victory for the Anti-Saloon League.
Discovery has been made by the vets
that the "triplet bills" have teeth. They
open the way for ending trial by jury
of liquor cases. That Is one of the last
resorts of the vets. AS long as they
are assured of trial by jury they feel
comparatively secure. The history OF
liquor enforcement Is that juries will
not convict. Trial by jury is such a
slow procedure that the liquor cases
pile up by the thousands and the longer
tie delay the greater the security of
the defendant.
Local Powers Conferred.
The bills pending authorize cities.
towns and villages to 'enact ordinances
In aid of enforcement of any statute of
the State or United States Government
and prescribe that any violation shall
constitute a misdemeanor." Further il
is provided that. subject to the power
of removal in title 6, chapter 1. of the
code of criminal procedure. the Court
of Special Sessions shall have in the
first instance Jurisdiction to hear and
determine charges of misdemeanors
arising out of any violations Of such
ordinances enacted In aid of the en-
forcement of any statute of the State
or the United States Government COM
mitted within the respective Counties
Therein lies the kick. II the liquor
! cases can go before Special Sessions it
will be bad for the violators.
Senator Lusk said he had not cam
vassed the Legislature; that ne did not
know the sentiment of either house. He
does not know what chance there is of
passing the bills. Many members of
the majority are declaring confidentially
their opposition to the dry bills. They
say they will not support any more en-
forcement legislation this year. And
they are quite positive In those asser-
tions-but always confidentially.
EnIists Back Home Forces.
The Anti-Saloon League and w. H.
Anderson have gone to work exactly as
OIL the half dozen other occasions when
they were out to drive something
through the Legislature. They have
| gone to the folks back home. The back
fire is starting trouble. Churches and
| reform organizations in the little towns
are having meetings indorsing the
"tribplet bills" and calling on the local
representative to support the measures
| Lusk has gone on the stump for the
"triplet bills" making the first breal
for the drys. He Is out speaking to-
day for the measures. His statement
here is substantially the same as he Is
making in his speeches. He said:
Prohibition Is no longer the issue
Ii is purely a question Of enforcement
The present situation Is intolerable
Bills are pending in the Legislature al
the present time which. IL enforced. will
authorize the different communities tc
pass local ordinances in aid of the en-.
forcement laws.
IL am unequivocally in favor of the
passage of these measures. They have
the double merit of furnishing locali
ties effective means of controlling so
called soft drink saloons and Other
places where the law Is being violated
and of putting an added sense of re-
! sponsibility for enforcement upon the
local officials and the citizens Of tho
different communities"