Henderson daily dispatch., 1937-01-14
WIN FIRST
SKIRMISH IN THE HOUSE
Daily Dispatch Bureau,
In the Sir Walter Hotel.
~, uENN9V AUERITl,
Ry HENRY AVERILL.


Raleigh, Jan. 14.-Advocates of a
Statewide liquor referendum admitted
they lost the first skirmish in the
House yesterday when they failed to
take the measure away from judiciary
committee No. 1 and have it referred
to the committee on proposition and
grievances.
81 was very much disappointed
when the bill went to judiciary No.
l." said Mercer J. Blankenship, Neck
lenburg, one of it's sponsors, For us,
propositions and grievances would
have been much BETTER
This comment was made just after
the House had defeated, with roar
of noes" a motion by Mrs Charles
J. Hutchins, Yancey, who introduced
the bill, to take it away from judi
ciary.
Speaker Gregg Cherry's action in
referring the bill to judiciary, how
ever did not draw fire even from the
driest CT the drys as they recalled
that the iron major" was only fol-
lowing the precedent set in the 1888
session when judiciary considered all
liquor bills.
Controllers Jubilant.
Wets-or controllers as they prefer
to be caled-were jubilant and freely
predicted that the referendum would
never see the light once it was buried
in files of the committee. They count
ed noses and claimed IS of the COM
mittee's "a members. On the other
hand they added up Is dry members
On the P and A group against no
oin ~
advocates. Which goes to show how
] important the committee to which is
| referred can be.
Drys, as exemplified by Mr.. Blank
enship, contended the referendum bill
is the true expression" and "very
| essence" of democracy, though some
regretted no control machinery is set
up for the contingency that referen-
dunn might show a wet majority.
f think we should have waited I'M
| til we had prepared details of con-
| troll plan in the event the referendum
should go wet,' said the Meckelnburg-
| er, "But I was overruled by my
| friends and I predict the strategy now
| will be to add machinery for some
form of control by way of amend
ment"
Somewhat modest in his claims, Mr..
Blankenship said that approximately
| so members of the House have al
| ready definitely committed themsel-
| YES in favor of Statewide referen-
dunn. He discountde the vote which
| swamped the committee-change pro-
posal, laughingly declaring that the
"wets just shouted louder than we
| did"
Pleased With Events
| Contending they are perfectly salts
| fled with the course of events so far
in the legislative session, control lead
| ers refused to be hurried into pre-
mature or dramatic action. They con-
| tinue to caucus quietly and it is easy
| to see they are letting no grass grow
under their feet in the matter of but
| tonholing those solons whose views
| have not already been so strongly ex-
! pressed as to place them definitely
on one side of the fence or the other.
| It is the consensus that before
| many days, however, the controllers
will have measure of their own to
| offer; but it is generally agreed that
/ this will not be done until all details
and compromises have been carefully
| worked out.
When the measure is offered, vet
eran and reliable prophets forecast, it
will provide for a joint State-county
control of liquor, with most of the