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Show PROHIBITION BILL IS UP F0RD1SGUSSI0N House Committee on Manufactures Man-ufactures and Commerce Consider Amendments. At an executive session at the Hotel Utah last night, the house committee on manufactures and commerce discussed proposed amendments to the Wootton prohibition pro-hibition bill. It is probable that tho committee com-mittee will be prepared to report the bill to the house today. Several amendments to the bill may be recommended and it is probable that "there will be two reports on the measure, one favorable and one adverse. ad-verse. The committee last night considered the amendment proposed b.' the wholesale druggists of the state. This amendment to the prohibition law would permit wholesale druggists in TTtah to handle liquor intended for retailers in other states. Benjamin L.. Rich appeared before be-fore the committee last night to urge the Incorporation of this amendment in the Wootton bill. He pointed out that three-fourths three-fourths of the drug stores of Nevada purchased pur-chased their drugs from wholesale druggists drug-gists of Salt Lake. In the event that Nevada Ne-vada druggists were unable to purchase bra tidies and other liquors from Utah wholesalers with their drug orders, their entire business would go to San Francisco wholesalers. Among the discriminatory features of the Wootton bill has been suggested the fact that retail druggists are permitted by the, bill to handle liquor for use in filling prescriptions, but they are not permitted to purchase it from wholesalers in Utah. The law permits persons to ship into the state liquor for private consumption, but they must not purchase from wholesalers in Utah. Bishop J. M. Whitaker, president of thft Betterment and Prohibition league, appeared ap-peared before the committee In opposition to the amendment proposed by the wholesale whole-sale druggists. He said that the purpose of the bill was to shut out liquor in even' form and to make the state as absolutely dry as it is possible to make it. Mr. Rich, in behalf of- the wholesale druggists, suggested that the amendment to the bill provide for a bond to be filed by wholesale druggists as a guarantee that liquor would not be sold to persons within the state. To prevent mushroom and irresponsible wholesalers from springing spring-ing up in the wake of the prohibition bill, he suggested that a wholesale .druggist be defined as one who had at least $100,000 worth of drugs, aside from liquor, on hand at all times. If the liquor bill is reported out of committee com-mittee today It will probably be several days before it is up for consideration in the house. To make the bill a special order or-der for final passage requires a two-thirds vote and at least one-half of the house appears to be disposed lo oppose action on the prohibition bill until the senate has acted on the Shields initiative and referendum refer-endum measure. |