Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-12-05
Board to Seek Legislation
Protecting Right of Wor-
ship and Rest.
SUNDAY BLUE LAW"
ORDINANCE NOT ASKED
Resolution Provides Committee to
Confer With Caraway, Invit-
ing Investigation.

The Board of Temperance, Prohibi-
ton and Public Morals is to go be-
fore Congress with request for passage
of legislation protecting the sanctity
of the Sabbath and the right of work.
ing men and women to one day of rest
in seven" Included in resolutions
adopted today by the board is one that
would set up the Sabbath in the Dis
trict of Columbia as day of rest, I'M
der specifications to be based upon the
experience of the States and the Sug-
gestionS of the churches of Washington.
The resolution provided that the
board shall petition the Congress for
passage of such legislation as may be
suitable in protecting the right OF
worship and the right of periodic rest.
No mention is made of invoking Sunday
blue laws" or similar ordinances.
Prepare for Investigation.
At the same time the board indicated
plainly that it will not stand idle in
the face of a threatened investigation
of its activities, and adopted another
resolution that a committee be ap-
pointed to communicate with Senator
Caraway, chairman of the lobby investi-
eating committee, inviting an eXamina-
sensations made to the Senate (which
seem to be for propaganda purpose,
under cover of allegations which cannot
be sustained"
The resolution suggested that If the
board is to be investigated, similar in
vestigatiops should be made Of all as
sociationS or societies which appear be-
fore committees of Congress, either for
or opposed to prohibition. Adoption OF
the resolution came after Representa-
tive Tinkham, Republican, of MaSsa-
chusetts, had issued statement sug-
costing that the lobby committee ''un-
mask the indefensible political activ-
tiles" of the Methodist board and of
the Federal Council of Churches.
Approval was expressed Of the pro-
posal of Senator Harris, Democrat,
Georgia, to introduce in the Senate a
resolution for additional funds to be
used in prohibition enforcement.
Prohibition enforcement came to the
fore at the meeting yesterday when the
Jones law was described in the annual
report of DeetS Pickett research secre-
tary of the board, as a popular and
effective instrument of prohibition"
Refers to Criticism.
Referring to a criticism of Repre-
sentative Tinkham TO the effect that
the Methodist Board had violated the
corrupt practices act, Mr.. Pickett said:
ut is manifestly impossible for an
organization operating under such con-
troll to transcend its commission or to
engaged in activities improper to a de-
nomination. board"
But this does not mean" he added,
that we for one moment Will consent
to surrender our constitutional rights
of petition, free speech, free press and
public assembly.
'While we have not haunted the
halls of Congress- he continued, 1--WE
have, on occasion, in public hearings
and otherwise given information to
Congress and to Congressman and have
petttioned them and shall continue to
do So"
Holds Charges Are False.
AS to the campaign of 1928, he said,
1--WE did no stump speaking; we did no
campaigning; we made no expenditures
except in purely educational undertake
ings or in activity which would have
been undertaken in any other year"
I'VE face the solemn fact" he said,
"that Mr.. Tinkham and others who
have voiced these false charges against
the board of temperance are apparently
inspired by the desire to appear to boor-
ism bigotry"
D. Stewart Patterson made the state
ment to the board OF managers OF the
board that the "wet forces are making
definite attempts to capture the youth
Of the country" and that on the college
campus and around the high school it
is the bootlegger who hunts the student
and not the student who hunts the
bootlegger.
Another resolution protested against
the exploitation on billboards of women
smoking or in display advertising in
magazines" the resolution stating that:
I'VE recognize the fundamental differ
ence between the traffic in tobacco and
in alcoholic liquors. Prohibition Of the
manufacture and sale OF tobacco is not
intended"