Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-01-20
Senate Subcommittee Will
Take Up Use of Commits
sioners as Judges.
ANOTHER TO CONSIDER
DRY TRANSFER PROPOSAL
Mrs. Norton, in House, Requests
Amendment to Permit Popular
Referendum.
BY G. GOULD LINCOLN.

bx u. GOULD LINCOLN.
The program to strengthen prohibi-
ton enforcement, submitted to Con-
gress by President Hoover, advanced one
stage today when subcommittee of the
Senate judiciary committee were
appointed to deal with bills touching
on two Of the recommendation.
The use of the United States COM
missioners to handle minor violations
OF the prohibition laws, recommended
by the President and the Law Enforce
ment Commission, is covered to a GER
tain extent in a bill introduced last
April by Senator Harris Of Georgia.
This bill was referred to subcommit-
tee of the judiciary committee, COM
posed of Senators steiwer, oregon.
chairman; Hebert. Rhode Island, and
Overman, North Carolina.
The other proposal of the President
and the Law Enforcement Commits
sion, the transfer Of prohibition en-
forcement from the Treasury Depart
ment to the Department of Justice, Is
proposed in bill offered by Senator
King Of Utah. Senator King heads q
subcommittee to deal with this proposal
and the other members are Senators
Hebert, Rhode Island, and Waterman,
Colorado.
Secretary Mellon of the Treasury De-
partment will be the first witness heard
hy the House committee on expendi-
lures In the executive departments when
1t begins consideration Wednesday of
the Williamson bill to transfer the pro-
hibition enforcement unit from the
Treasury Department to the Depart
ment Of Justice.
Representative Williamson, author of
the bill, Is chairman Of the Committee
which Is handling it. He announced
today that the committee would hold
its first hearing Wednesday morning ct
10 o'clock. The Williamson bill was
the first introduced in the House spe-
officially to carry out the recommends
tions OF President Hoover for the
strengthening Of prohibition enforce
ment.
Referendum Asked In House.
While the Senate Judiciary commit
tee was taking this action IN the Sen
ate, Mrs. Mary T. Norton, Representa-
tive from New Jersey, introduced In the
House resolution for constitutional
amendment permitting Q popular refer
endum on the eighteenth amendment.
Her proposal would wipe out state
authorize the repeal Of the eighteenth
amendment by o majority vote Of all
the people.
Her proposal in its present form is
not likely to get anywhere except into
a committee, where 1t will die. The
resolution which she introduced reads
as follows:
electors thereof at the next general con-
gressional election therein, after three
months from the date of the adoption
er or not the eighteenth amendment
to the Constitution shall be repealed.
Plan Bars Saloons.
"The electors in each State shall have
the qualifications requisite for electors
OF the most numerous branch of the
State Legislatures.
Each State shall conduct such cleo
ton therein and determine the result
as the law thereof provides. or in the
absence Of such State law, in such
manner as the Congress shall provide.
On the expiration of the terms of
such an election in all the States the
submission on the question shall be
complete.
II the majority OF all the people
voting vote for the repeal, the eighteenth
amendment shall thereupon cease to be
a part Of this Constitution, but the
Congress shall retain power to prohibit
the interstate transportation of in
toxicating liquors In violation of State
laws, and no State shall permit or
authorize the conduct of saloon.
There Is now no constitutional
method for direct vote upon a pro-
posed constitutional amendment" said
Mrs. Norton. This amendment, If
adopted, would give a right to such a
vote, but only as to the eighteenth
amendment"
Mrs Norton's proposal is for q ref
erendum which would disregard all
State lines and to that extent is for
eign to the principle written into the
Constitution which calls for represent
tation by the individual States. Mrs.
Norton insists. however, that "prohi-
bition is clearly not one of those guar
antees, such as the guarantees to States
and the guarantees to individuals in
the Constitution, which are rightfully
placed beyond majority control. The
question Of prohibition is inherently
legislative function of Government"
The New Jersey congresswoman says
(ContiniIed m Pare Column on