The Kennewick courier-reporter. [volume] (Kennewick, Wash.) 1914-1938, 1924-05-01
His Candidacy for Presi-
dency Endorsed at Coun-
ty Convention.
MAYOR BEN f. HILL
ADDRESSES MEETING
Speaker Praises Records of
Washington's Demo-
-.. cratic Governors

Benton county democrats in con-
vention here Saturday afternoon en-
dorsed the candidacy Of William G.
McAdoo for the presidency and In
structed the delegation to the state
convention to vote as unit.
Neither the McAdoo resolution nor
the unit rule instruction was included
in the report of the resolution COM
mittee which commended the record
of Senator c. C. Dill, veterans adj
Justed compensation, improved leg
islation for cooperative marketing,
restricted immigration, strict law en-
forcement and the direct primary law.
The McAdoo endorsement was Of
fered from the floor by J. r. Gardner
and was carried with only one dis
senting vote. The unit rule motion
also offered by Mr.. Gardner met with
considerable opposition and follow
ing a general discussion was carried
10 to Id.
The convention was addressed by
Mayor Ben F. Hill, Of Walla Walla,
candidate for the democratic nomi-
nation for governor. Mayor Hill re-
ferred but briefly to national poIiti-
cal issues, saying that at the pres
ent time the average citizen prefer
red not to discuss conditions at WASH
ington but to hold his nose. He COM
mended the democratic senators for
the Investigations they have been
conducting and declared that it is
squarely up TO the president to clean
house.
Taking up state issues, Mayor Hill
emphasized stricter enforcement Of
the prohibition law and the reduction
of taxation. He said as mayor of Wal
la Walla he had been greatly handi-
capped in enforcing the prohibition
law because of the light penalty
which municipalities can impose un-
der the state law. He declared that
fine of 500, the maximum which
city can impose, is not sufficient
to put the bootleggers out Of busi-
ness. He advocated uniform penal
ties for violations whether the case
is brought in federal, state or muni-
cipal court.
Mayor Hill said taxes can be re-
duced by improved business methods
in state government and the elimina-
tion of overlapping departments. The
democrats he said had an enviable
record in this state. The state has
had only two democratic governors
and each left record Of notable
achievement. Governor Rodgers gave
the state its excellent school system,
which he characterized as one of the
best in the United States, and Gov
ernor Lister was responsible for the
states efficient highway program
He said that while concrete highways
may be the best that can be built,
the specifications laid down by the
state highway department should be
modified to allow competitive bids
from the black-top people. Limiting
specifications absolutely to concrete,
he said, had resulted in Washington's
paying for the same type Of high
paying for the same typs of high
way.
The purpose of the convention was
to select 13 delegates and .13 alter
mates to the state convention which
opens tomorrow in Seattle. The fol.
lowing were chosen:
Col. c.. c. Baker, A. Beavers, Mrs.
M. Mahoney, T. j. Hayden, Mrs. May
Condor, C. L. Holcomb, A. G. Nc
Neil, C. F. McCluskey, G. w. Ham
ilton, o. N. Weldy, Alfred Hicks,
ID. L. Taylor, and j. M. Wanda.
Alternates were: Mrs. c. E. Ed
wards, e. X. Hewey, F. r. White,
Ben Knox, James Gilmore, G. N.
Hughes, c. ID. Mitchell, M. N. Hud-
nall, H. Heddington, C. B. Crawford,
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