Evening star., 1933-01-05
LEHMAN SUGGESTS
LIQUOR LICENSING
Would Set Up Machinery to
Take Immediate Advantage
of Federal Repeal.
By the Associated Press.

ALBANY, N. Y, January 5. - Gov
Herbert H. Lehman, reading his first
message to the Legislature, convened
fer its l56th session, yesterday called for
enactment of laws early this year to
enable New York to set up machinery
for the sale and distribution of alcoho-
lie beverages in event Congress legalizeS
beer and repeals the eighteenth amend
ment. He suggested that 'it would be
advisable to have the proper State legis-
lation prepared and passed at this ses-
sion to provide for the necessary licen-
sing machinery for the sale and distr1-
button of beverages now prohibited"
Referring to the possibility of repeal
Ct the eighteenth amendment, Mr.. Leh-
man said:
1.-The State of New York should be
prepared to take advantage of such
legislation at the earliest possible mo-
ment and should be ready to submit
to the vote of the people as quickly
as possible any matters directed to be
submitted to them.
This would be only in the interest
of hurrying desired repeal or amenda-
tory legislation along these lines, but
would also provide Immediately. addi-
tional revenues for the State, if action
were taken by the Congress"
Urges small commission.
The Governor recommended that "a
small commission with proper appro-
priation be authorized" at this session
TO study this subject and report to
this Legislature no later than Febru-
ary Is, 1888, with suggested legislation
to be enacted now, even in anticipation
OF congressional action"
Mr. Lehman did not detail the type
OF legislation to be prepared, leaving
that for the Legislature to fix.
This was the only recommendation
Gov. Lehman made for new revenues
to meet "a trying economic crisis in
the State.
He offered one noteworthy sugges-
ton for elimination of all or part of
the cost of one State function, the
regulation of public utilities. The Gov
ernor proposed that the cost of regula-
ton be thrown back upon the public
utility companies themselves, just as
insurance companies and banks pay the
overhead expenses of the insurance and
banking departments.
Relief Fund Runs Low.
Gov. Lehman told the lawmakers that
the $55,000,000 the State has appropri-
ated for unemployment relief will be
exhausted by June l and that the En-
pire State IS now forced to look to
Washington for assistance"
In this connection he said that "the
new Federal administration is definitely
committed to the policy that the Fed
eral Government has the ultimate re-
sponsibility for the continued promo
ton of the public welfare, and for the
relief of unemployment distress"
Gov. Lehman told the Senators and
Acc fhnf
families dependent upon New York
State for public relief and called this
relief the States first duty.
Never In the history of New York
have the needs Of the unemployed been
greater" he said. Eve must have funds
for relief made available concurrently
by cities, counties and the State with
the substantial assistance Of the Fed
eral Government"
Would Speed Revenues.
Regarding the anticipated changes
in the prohibition law, he said that
'the State of New York should be pre-
pared to take advantage of such legis-
lation at the earliest possible moment
and should be ready to submit to the
vote OF the people as quickly as posi-
BILE any matters directed to be submit
ted to them. This would not only be in
the interest of hurrying desirable repeal
or amendatory legislation along these
lines. but would also provide immediate
additional revenues for the State If
action were taken by Congress.
II recommend that small commits
sion with a moderate appropriation be
authorized to study this subject and
report to this Legislature no later than
February Is, 1888, with suggested legis-
lation to be enacted now even in antic-
ipatton of congressional action
He urged that in consideration Of
the proposed st. Lawrence waterway
and waterpower development projects
mo unjust burden be placed upon the
development of waterpower by an un-
fair division of the total cost of the
two projects"