Smyrna times., 1931-01-14
THREE CORNERED FIGHT OVER
KLAIR LAW IN LEGISLATURE
VETS, DRYS AND PHYSICIANS
HAVE DIFFERENT PLANS
Fight To Be Waged Over Turning
Business of the Levy Court in
Each County Over to State

BUSINESS OF the Levy court IN
Each County Over to State
One of the subjects which is at
tracing considerable attention in
the Legislature now in session at
Dover is the repeal or amendment
to the Klair law which is the State
Prohibition enforcement measure.
1t will be a three cornered fight.
Prohibitionists will fight against
any modification of the measure
urging that it already allows ply
sicians to prescribe liquor under
proper conditions. Physicians of
the state, or majority of them,
are in favor of amending the law
so as to make clear the right of
physicians to prescribe liquor while
others are in favor of repeating the
entire law. The vets are claiming
that enough members were elected
as vets to repeal the law, but there
is question as to whether they
will vote that way. 1t it asserted
that certain wet Republicans tried
to elect a Democratic United
States Senator and this being the
case the Republicans do not pro-
pose to repeal the law. Even the
vets are worried over this aspect
of the case and while they claim
a majority in the legislature, they
can not count upon majority vot-
ing to repeal the Klair law The
drys, on the other hand, claim the
vets never had a majority of the
members of the legislature and
that it will be impossible for them
to repeal the law. 1t is admitted
however, that there is a possibility
of the law being amended to give
physicians the right to prescribe
liquor in the practice of their pro-
fession, but in order to secure this
privilege, the physicians, it is un-
derstood, will be compelled to
make their fight alone.
To Abolish Levy Court
Though a fight had been expect
ed over the suggestion Of Cover
nor Q. Douglass Buck to abolish
the Levy Courts in the three count
les and substitute one governing
body for all Of them, it is not gen
orally believed that the Governor
has made up his mind to suggest
such legislation. This will be
known, however, when his message
is presented on Monday when the
legislature resumes its sessions.
There is considerable number of
people who are in favor of the
State Highway Department taking
charge of all the roads in the State
and building them, instead of al
lowing the counties to build the
county roads. This may be sug-
gested as step in the direction of
eventually abolishing the Levy
Courts in the three counties.
Old Age Pensions
There was also considerable at
tention given to the old age pen
sion act. The commission to con-
slider this subject is composed of
Alfred I. DUPONT, John S. Rossell
and the Rev. Charles Candee. A
similar bill was offered two years
ago but was defeated at that time.
There appears to be strong senti-
ment in favor of the old age pen
sions but many of those who are
interested feel that if old age pen
sions were granted it would be
possible to abandon the three aim
houses in the State or at least two
of them. To abolish the aim
houses however, would 90 away
with a number of positions and the
Levy Courts of the counties would
have that much less patronage to
bestow. This being the case, it is
not likely that the almhouses will
be abolished without considerable
opposition.