Imperial Valley press., 1931-01-20
(Continued from page ~

COlultlOll lildl Tic present SYSTEM,
after a further test, failed to sue
ceed Baker and Lemann favored
unconditional repeal. Further trial
of the present 18th amendment was
favored by Chairman Wickersham
and Commissioners Kenyon, Nc
Cormick and Grubb.
All except Lemann signed the gen.
eral report with reservations and
every member appended an indivi-
dual statement of his position
Lemann gave no reason for refus-
ing to sign.
Majority Favor Change
While the commission nominally
stands with President Hoover in his
inaugural and previous declarations
opposing repeal of the 18th amend
ment, more than half individually
desire a change. Chairman Wick
ersham, although favoring a furth-
er trial of the present regime would
be willing to test out the sentiment
Of the country by submission of a
proposal for repeal of the 18th
amendment, to be passed on in
state constitutional conventions.
Members individually and collec-
lively opposed return of the saloon.
The commissions formal report al
so opposed restoration of light wines
and beer. and greater latitude in
search and seizure. 1t favored a
definite alcoholic limit on elders
and fruit juices, which now are re-
CURED only to be non Intoxicating
in fact, and favored material in
crease in enforcement appropria-
tons and personnel regardless of
what the ultimate solution may be.
Though torn by differences which
could not be completely reconciled
even after nearly two years of con-
sideration, the commission agreed
that whatever the ultimate solution
may be, some form of federal con-
troll which would prevent revival of
the saloon is imperative.
I'm our judgment" the commits
sion report said, sit is impossible to
recede wholly from the 18th amend
rient in view of the economic uni
tication of the country. the devel-
opment of transportation, the in
dustrial conditions of the time, and
the general use of machinery in
every line of activity
The commission found general
disregard in many sections for pro-
hibition, profesSed skepticism as to
many benefits claimed on its be-
half, and voiced concern over pub
lie indifference while at the same
time fincing difficulty in suggesting
remedies which it felt would be con-
elusive unless supported by greater
enthusiasm on the part Of the pub
lie.
1T is evident the commission
said. that taking the country as
a whole people of wealth, business
men and professional men, and
their families, and perhaps the
higher paid working men and their
families are drinking in large num-
bers in quite frank disregard of the
declared policy of the national pro-
hibition act
The commissions report covered
l48 pages and was signed by all
members except Monte NJ Lemann
of Louisiana. who favored uncondi-
tional repeal of the 18th amend
ment along with Newton D. Baker
who, however, signed the genera! re-
port Individual opinions covered
1873 pages. the whole volume, near
ly an inch thick, comprising 10000
words.
Approve Anderson Plan
The liquor control plan proposed
by Henry W. Anderson Of Rich
mond, Va. q prominent dry Re
publican in the south, assumed I'M
portance because he won three OF
his colleagues over to it and two
others approved it conditionally al
though they desired further trial
of the present prohibition struc-
ture. Those approving it besides
Anderson were Frank J. Loesch
Chicago, vice prosecutor; Dean Ros-
coe Pound. of the Harvard law
school, and Kenneth Macintosh,
former chief justice of the Wash
ington state supreme court. Fed
eral Judge William S. Kenyon OF
Iowa, a pronounced dry, and Fed
,eral Judge Paul J. Mccormick OF
California, approved it condition
ally.
Concluding that prohibition cam
not be enforced, Anderson in his
separate opinion, proposed adoption
by the United States OF a system
of liquor sale under government
control similar to that now etfec-
tive in Sweden.
He recommended establishment OF
q bipartisan national commission on
liquor control. Sole right to con-
troll manufacture, importation and
transportation Of liquors in inter-
state commerce would be vested IN
this body and exercised through a
liquor corporation, the stock OF
which should be privately owned
but its earnings limited to five OF
seven per cent. Excess profits
would go to the federal and state
governments for use in educating
the public in the evils Of excess
drinking.
1IIc Pldii Ii.Cii OOliIciiipidICo OiS
ating state liquor corporations
which would purchase supplies from
the national corporation and dis
pense them to the public under su-
pervision of state control commits.
sions Anderson compares his pro-
posed national commission to the
federal reserve board and the in
terstate commerce commission II
their control over their respective
fields.
Prices charged for liquor would
be kept as low as possible to mini