The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1922-12-18
RAMPANT BOOZE
COMFAB SUBJECT
WITH PRESIDENT
Sixteen Governors Conferring
With Harding Today
TO BE PRESENT
Another Meeting in January
When New Executives
Will Be in Office

Washington, Dec. lS.-President
Harding's conference with the gov
ernors on prohibition enforcement Is
being held at the White House. Six
teen state executives have signihed
their intention lof attending, seven hay
ing already arrived from White Sui
phur Springs, w Va. where the lith
annual Governors Conference was
held last week.
The original plan OF the President
contemplated "A meeting OF gov
ernors here in January for a discus
sion OF prohibition problems, but the
proximity OF large group OF them
in attendance at the Waite Sulphur
Springs Conference was one of the
factors which caused the date to be
advanced.
In administration circles it is be-
lieved, however, that another con
ference will be necessary after Janu-
airy /. as many Of the governors viii
be out Of office after the first OF
the year and a new group will be
charged with cooperating in the en-
forcement OF the prohibition law.
President Harding in reaching Il
decision regarding todays conference,
IL was said. was confronted with this
problem, but II was thought desirable
10 obtain the views of those who have
had experience in dealing with the pro
hibition question during the last few
years, SO as TO make II available for
the new state executives if another
conference IS held.
Those who have indicated their
will to attend the conference are
Governor Sproul. Pennsylvania; Al
len Kansas Denny, Delaware
Richie, Maryland: Kilby, Alabama;
Hyde, Missouri, Davis, Idaho; Camp
bell. Arizona; McKelyie. Nebraska
Trinkle. Virginia, McCray, Indiana.
Cox. Massachusetts,. Olcott, Oregon,
Hartness. Vermont and Preus. Min
nesota.
Wayne b. Wheeler, general counsel
for the Anti-Saloon League and W.
II. Stayton. executive head of the as
s0ciation. against the prohibition
amendment. issued statements yes
terday commencing the calling OF the
conference. Mr.. Wheeler said: THE
United States must check lawlessness
or be engulfed by It," and Mr. Stay
ton said his association agreed with
the Presidents declaration in his last
message TO Congress. that crime Is
running amuck in this country"
"The governors law enforcement
Conference is nose opportune." Mr..
Wheelers statement said. The or
ganized attack on the 18th amend
ment and the law to enforce IL is an
affront TO lawabding citizens
The governors OF the states have
already In many instances set n
worthy example by calling upon pub.
Tic officials To enforce the law and
private citizens to obey the law"
Mr.. Slayton said his association
agreed that ut is high time to call in
the governors, because IL is the fed.
eral law which has broken down
Before the adoption of the 18th
amendment, he said most OF the
states had their individual prohib
tlon laws, which were duly enforced
without scandal"
"Thc orgy of crime and disrespect
for law was not known at that time. ="
Mr. Slayton said. Sdding that he
hoped the conference would have the
effect of pointing to the inevitable
adoption OF The plan OF our organlza.
tion of turning the entire matter of
enforcement back to the governors
and the states. whore II belongs"