Evening star., 1932-03-01
145th Signature Is Obtained
as la Guardia Replies
to BIanton.
CHAMBER IN UPR0AR
UPON ANNOUNCEMENT
Date for Balloting Is Not Set.
Will Show Lineup for First
Time in Years.

A hosse vote On consideration of a
State aJat local liquor control plan was
assured today when the wet blocS OBJ
tanned the necessary 145 signatures on
a petition to take the measure away
from the Judiciary Committee.
The vote is expected to show the
House lineup on prohibition for the
first time in years.
There was great enthusiasm and
loud applause on the part OF the vets
when it was announced on the floor
that sufficient names had been signed
to the petition for the discharge. The
motion to discharge will come before
the House on March IA.
Hope to Have lis Votes.
The vets do not expect to carry
their motion, but they hope to have
more than It's votes for it when the
roll Is called.
The purpose of prohibition op-
ponents is to bring showdown on
the wet and dry issue in the House
in anticipation of the effect it Will
have in the coming campaign.
day, a total of 139 signatures had been
needed and six members signed up to-
day. They were SABBATH of Illinois,
Freeman Of Connecticut, Major of 1lli-
nois, Fish of New York, Montague OF
Virginia and Mansfield of Texas.
The Texas member was the last man
to sign. His signature was affixed to
the petition as another Texan, Repre-
sentative Blanton, was attacking and
deriding the proposal of the vets, de-
claring it could have no effect.
La Guardia Replies.
Representative La Guardia Of New
York, one of the wet leaders of the
House, was on his feet replying to Blan-
ton when Representative O'Connor Of
New York brought the word to him that
Mr.. Mansfield had signed the petition.
Immediately there was an uproar and
wild applause from the vets.
Speaker Garner will be at liberty, II
he so desires, to take the floor during
the consideration of the motion to dis
charge and state his position with ref
erence to the eighteenth amendment.
There is no compulsion upon him to
take this course.
Speaker Garner also may vote II he
desires on the motion to discharge the
committee.
Silent on Dry Issue.
Mr.. Garner was reported in dispatches
from Texas as saying he did not intend
to discuss questions not before the
House, when he was replying to a
question as to how he stood on the
prohibition issue. The success Of the
vets in obtaining sufficient signatures
to their petition has the effect of bring
ing the wet and dry issue before the
House, which changes the situation
materially. Speaker Garner voted
against the resolution submitting the
eighteenth amendment to the States
back in 1917. Since then, however, he
has supported legislation for the en-
forcement of the dry laws.
When Representative Freeman of
Connecticut signed the petition today,
he practically had to be. lifted to the
desk Despite his Illness the Connect
cut member came to the House to sign
the petition.
The resolution which the vets pro-
posed in their discharge motion to take
from the Judiciary Committee and
bring before the House proposes an
amendment to the eighteenth amend
ment If this proposed amendment is
adopted, Article 18 of the Constitution
would read as follows:
Text of Resolution.
"The Congress shall have power to
regulate or prohibit the manufacture,
sale or transportation of Intoxicating
liquors within, the importation thereof
into, and the expectation thereof from
the United States and all territory sub
ject to the Jurisdiction thereof, for
beverage purposes:
Provided, however, that such powers
shall not be construed or applied to
abridge or deny the right of any State
to authorize and regulate the manufac-
ture, sale, transportation, or use of such
intoxicating liquors, wholly within the
borders of such State; that such power
of regulation, or any power of the Con-
gress to regulate interstate and foreign
commerce, shall not be construed to
empower the Congress to author
ize the shipment. transportation or
importation into any State of intoxicat-
ing liquors for beverage or other pur-
poses whenever the manufacture, sale,
transportation or use Of such liquors
has been prohibited by the laws OF
such State; and any such shipment or
importation of intoxicating liquors into
such State, in violation of its laws, Is
prohibited, and any such shipment or
Importation shall be subject to the laws
of the State upon its arrival therein"
This resolution was introduced by both
Representatives Linthicum of Mary
land, the wet Democratic leader of the
House, and Beck of Pennsylvania, the
wet Republican leader.
The petition for discharge was signed
by 76 Republicans and SO Democrats.
The petition has been resting on the
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