The Waterbury Democrat., 1931-02-21
NL.A Service Writer.

Mashington.-The state legislature season has been marked by what appears to be an unusual amount of agitation over prohibition and gov ernors have been somewhat more ar- ticulate on the subject in their mes-
 sages. But although the vets have
 been on the offensive they appear to have achieved very little in the
 way of real legislation.
 The situation in the legislatures
 appears to be roughly like that in
 congress. There are some wet legis-
 latures but a large majority appear
 to be good and dry. There is no record of any dry legislature sudden been minor and inconclusive. As in congress. majorities are general ly inclined neither to modify pro- hibition laws or tighten up on laz enforcement.
 There seems little encourage. ment for such drys who hold with the Wickersham commission that state cooperation is an "essential element in the enforcement of the 18th amendment" and that such
 stae co-operation has been woe fully lacking. It Is too early to
 make any compilation of appropria- tions for state enforcement, but a recent survey by the Crusaders showed that only 10 states hahd ap- propriated sums for prohibition en- forcement in 1880 and that the total was only $64,000. The claim was made that more than 10O.000.00 persons lived in states which made no attempt to enforce the law. New York Seeks Repeal. Na1u 1oOiS1o f,rra hQs stepped out and passed memorials and petitions to congress asking re- peal of the 18th amendment and the calling of a constitutional con- vention for the purpose. But there was nothing sensational or surpris- ing about that. The vote of Wyom. ing's legislators for a prohibition referendum next year is at least equally interesting.
 Repeal of the Illinois state pro- hibition law is perhaps the most important possibility of the imme- diate future. At this writing there is some doubt whether the state senate will follow the house in vot- l ing for repeal, but it seems likely that 1t will heed the wishes of H. linois voters, who voted 2 to fol
 the laws repeal in last falls ref erendum.
 Dry Iowa's House of Representa-. tives, however, killed a proposal for repeal of its state prohibition law by the rather decisive vote o1 89 to 6. Tie Texas House formally endorsed both 18th amendment and Volstead act, voting 100 to 39fi and
 defeated an attempt at slight
 modification of part of the state
 law.
 Attempt, to repeal other state en.
 forcement laws have been begun ir Connecticut, New Jersey, Ohio Utah and other states. There hal also bene a movement to modify the very stiff Wright law of In.
 diana. Some of the measures tc effect these changes have beer
 buried and some are still being pushed.
 Western State About Faces. The state of Washington, whose politicians created something of 2 stir last year by going wet in cam. paign platforms, killed proposa to memorabilia congress to submit repeal of the 18th amendment tt the people by 8 senate vote of 2t | to IA. Tn Missouri House voted against a constitutional convention resolution, 87 to 53, but the vote showed a wet gain of about 20.
 Maryland. however, may pass
 resolution to submit repeal to constitutional convention. Int measure's sponsors are confident ol victory after some hearings whicf are about to begin.
 Rhode Island. at last account!