New Britain herald., 1928-02-22
LIQUOR QUESTION
 FACES G0V. SMITH
Expect Favorable Report on
 Prohibition Bills at Albany

Albany. N. Y, Feb. 2: LP,-Gover- nor Smith, whose attitude on the prohibition question already has fig ured prominently in the discussion Of h6 availability as a democratic presidential candidate, is likely to have another final opportunity to ex- press an official opinion on the sub 5ect before he leaves the executive chamber. it was indicated at the capitol today.
 His Chance
 The opportunity will come if both houses of the republican controlled legislature pass one of the two bills introduced by assemblyman Edmund B. Jenks. republican, Broome. call- ing respectively for state wide pro- hibition enforcement and optional county enforcement. Hearings held yesterday on both measures. which. at present, in the assembly codes committee. indicated that their ad- vocates are keenly alive to the sig nificance of any action the governor might take.
 Legislators today were of the gen. eral opinion that one of the bills would be reported favorably by the committee and that they would have free course through both houses. Assemblyman Burton D. Esmond of Saratoga. republican chairman of the codes committee, 1ntimated today that he was in favor of reporting one of the two bills. and that his committee would be like wise. although which of the meas- ures is to De placed before the leg islature is as yet in doubt
 Final Decision
 Tn either case. however, it is felt at the capitol, the governor would be required to make final decision on the question which has followed him through nearly ten years as executive. The county option bill marks & new departure from Mir. Jenks' usual demand for & strict state enforcement program, but, as he explained at the heanng yester- day. it was offered in the belief that "half a loaf is better than no bread"
 Three men who formed the bull wark of the anti-prohibition forces at yesterdays hearing kept silence on the possible effect of the bills on the governors chances for the presi- dential nomination, but the advo- cates of the measures took advan- tage of every opportunity to en- phasize their disapproval of his previous attitude on prohibition.
 Their view of the governors stand against state enforcement act was largely summed up in the assertion of former Judge Harvey F. Remington of Rochester, who de- clared:
 Yield to No One
 T yield to no one in my respect and regard for the governor of this state. He is of presidential timber. I will admit, but he signed the Null len-Gage repealer (the Mullan Gage state enforcement act, repealed in 1s23). and it will take more than the 1000 words contained in his memorandum on that occasion to explain his attitude sufficiently to elect him president of the United States.
 Assembiynmn Louis A. Cuvillier, New York city. democrat, who was the author of the bill which repeal ed the Mullan-Gage law and who yesterday assumed his customary role of field marshal of the "wet" characterized the Jenks county op- tion bill as one of the most drastic revolutionary pieces of legislation I have ever seen in this house."
 Terming it . Chinese puzzle," Ae further attacked the measure as be- ing absolutely silly. meaningless and useless" and adding. "as a piece of legislation, 1t certainly does not dignify the 18th amendment and the Volstead act"
 The advocates and opponents of the bills kept up lively running fire of debate throughout the hear ing over various phases of the pro- hibition question, particularly re- garding drinking by young people and the ease with which liquor can be obtained. Both side agreed that it could be obtained. Eff you are known and have the money" but there was sharp disagreement over allegations by the anti-prohibitionists, that minors were drinking more than be- fore prohibition.
 Well If you have seen them in that condition, what have you done about 1t, and what are you going to do to make it harder for them to obtain this liquor?" asked Mira D. Leigh Colvin, president of the state W. C. T. U. of an assemblyman who told her he had seen young girls in- toxicated in and around New York hotela