New Britain herald., 1926-06-17
Dry Officials Salary S666 a Month, He Testihes Denies Any Interference With Liquor Prosecutions.
Called to Explain His Charges That Wet h. terests Made Large Con- tributiOns to Penn. Pro- mary Funds.

Washington, June 17 Pl-Under a fusilade of questioning by James 4. Reed, the wet democratic sena- tor from Missouri, Wayne B. Wheel CT ot the Anti-Saloon league main- tulned today before the senate cam paign funds committee that the league had played only a legitimate role in politics, in legislation and in litigation arising under the dry laws.
 The leagues entire financial chest for 1925, the witness estimated would not run over S2U0.00O. He said that he hims-.f received a sal ar. Jf $Gt6 a month from the or Eanization, and had not other source of income.
 Sev> ral times Reed accused the witness of failure to make definite replies, and asked that exact facts and figures be produced later for the committee. This Wheeler prom ised to do.
 Wheeler came before the commit tee in answer to a summons from Chairman Reed.
 Mir. Wheeler pushed his way to the committee table and addressed the chairman.
 Introduces Himself
 My name ia Wayne 5. Wheeler" he said.
 I'm glad to have the pleasure of -+r,,, ..f, pr.
 How long before l will be call ed?' Wheeler inquired.
 "Oh, in q little while.
 "The reason l ask is I have an engagement for 11:SO."
 "I think you had better cancel it." the chairman said, and Wheeler returned 10 his seat.
 Beginning as a soft-spoken eX- change of question and answer, the encounter soon brought on g war of words while a crowd in which standing room was at a premium looked on breathless.
 Gets SG66 a Month
 Wheeler was called because of his public assertions that the liquor in- terests had contributed 10 the eX- prnditures in Pennsylvania's recent $2.000,000 republican primary, but before he came to that subject Reed ran the scale Of the leagues general policies and Wheeler's association with them. The witness gave his salary as $GGG a month, said it con- stitutcd his only source of income, and denied that he had "interferred" 1 in prohibition cases pending in the | courts, except by way of seeing to i it that dry agents are not framed 1 by the liquor people, 1
 Reed Accuses League
 For his part, Reed ran over q list | Of cases in which the league attor- 1 ncys had had part and accused | the league of passing on the guilt or | innocence of the accused in some in- stances in advance of hearing.
 To questions relating to the num- her of cases involving league activi- ties, and to the amount of his own salary in former years, Wheeler r often returned indefinite answers, saying he had not known about what ' he was 10 be examined and had not | brought the necessary data. To this Reed replied that the witness was forgetting how to use the words "yes" and mo-"
 There are questions that you can't answer yes or mo-" retorted Wheeler.
 Denies Any Interference
 Reed then directed the witness to produce the records of each case in which you have interfered." We don't call it interference" Wheeler protested, i've simply pre- sent the facts" Explaining the duties of the legis- { lative superintendent of the Anti I Saloon league, Wheeler said he ( worked against bills in congress to modify the dry law and for bills to strengthen it.
 You spend most of your time, then, talking with members of con- gress?" No, most of it is by correspond eucc."
 Wheeler also said that the legal division of the league here asserted in prosecutions in dry violation cases by preparing briefs and sometimes ! as q friend of the court T in constitutional cases. Have you ever assisted in the | prosecution of prohibition enforce c r1ent officers charged with q failure Il 10 enforce the law" Yes, in cases where the officers have gone wrong. We have given | he prosecuting officers the facts and a sked that the man be brought 10 L jlstice."
 Reed wanted a record of such T ses and Wheeler said he would 0 produce il.
 T did not look up such matters" .'heelcr added "because l did not ink it had anything to do with ? 70 Pennsylvania primary" k Wen get 10 the Pennsylvania t' -imary in due time" said Reed. s 'our organization takes part in S ecions campaigns? You raise Ii
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