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Show URGE COMMISSIONER II PROHIBITION BILL Members of State Farm Bureau Bu-reau Also Favor Public Utilities Law. Sfefll to The Tribune. OGDEN', Jan. 27. In a movement under leadership of D. P. McKay, floor leader in tha lowfr house of the legis-lature, legis-lature, mfimbors of tho Utah statu farm bureau in convention hero this afternoon after-noon went on record favoring the prohibition pro-hibition bill containing the commihsion-ftr commihsion-ftr plan and alao in t'avnr of tho ho- j railed drastic house bill No. 35, providing provid-ing for a public utilitieH commission. Tho action on both measures was almoHt unanimous, although some opposition dbvoloped at the on tint. At a meeting of tho directors of the nt.at farm organization following the general session Mr. McKay was reelected re-elected president of 1 he state bureau. ('. R. War nick of Utah county was elected Vice president and Howard V. Alston of Salt Lake county was selected select-ed as secretary. All wero elected for a period of one year. More than 200 representatives of county farm bureaus throughout the state attended the convention, which was held in conjunction with the farmers' farm-ers' round-up and housekeepers' conference. confer-ence. Wlien the resolutions committee made its report there wero sections in tho original droit indorsing effective prohibition and public, utilities measures. meas-ures. Mr. McKay at once offered amendments to the resolutions specifying specify-ing the measures to bo indorsed. "'With regard to prohibition." said the Weber county legislator, I take it that you want "a law as near whisky tight as it is possible to make it and a machine for enforcing tho Jaw that is as nearly perfect as it is possible to make it. The provision for a commissioner commis-sioner of prohibition means that if a county sheriff, constable or officer of a city is inclined to be lenient on the question of liquor selling we want a way to get around the situation, and tho commissioner plan provides the way. Jf you don't have a way to get around this difficulty your prohibition law does not amount to the snap of your fingeis. I wouid like to see you farmers, farm-ers, who aro prohibitionists at heart, fo on record favoring the commissioner eatnre of this bill. "As to the public utilities commission, commis-sion, there are two bills introduced in the legislature. One is as tame as it is possible for the corporations to make it and still benr the title of a public utili- ties bill. The other is an effectual measure regulating all utilities, including includ-ing those ot a monopolistic nature. Some of you farmers know about tho salt concerns and the sugar companies in this state. Let. your resolutions put nu on record favoring house bill No. When the resolutions were taken np section by section J. C. Wheel on of Box-elder Box-elder county was among those objecting object-ing to a designation of any particular till. He said the people "had elected senators and representatives to the legislature leg-islature for the purposo of enacting of- i feetivo laws and why should any oody of citizens dictate to them what laws hall lie enacted. Two or three others present voiced similar views on the matter, mat-ter, ft was also pointed out by ob-jertor ob-jertor to the amendments that the ! benate had not a-x-epted the two bills mentioned. ".Su you take the view that, having elected your representatives to the state legislature, you have nothi o g more to bay 1 ' ' declared Representative McKay in particular reply to Mr. Wheel on. "Lot ma tell you that the corporations aro speaking "fur themselves, and you can't walk around the floor of the house without stepping on them, but you farmers farm-ers want to sit still and &ay nothing fur yourselves. "Now let me say to you, gentlemen, that you have the wrong idea. You have elected your representatives, but you also want to tell them what you want, for otherwise there are many who j will take your silence aa an indication I that you will be satisfied with what-i what-i ever you get. You farmers have suf- j ! fercd'for the want of coal; you know j thp. attitude of the creameries of this 1 Htato, and tho railroads are tame in 1 comparison with tho salt and sugar I monopolies. Speak for yourselves, farm-j farm-j ers, and in no uncertain terms." i In explanation of the fact that the I senate has not shown itself kindly inclined in-clined toward tho bills mentioned, the Wober county legislator said the senate roll includes not a few friends of corporations, cor-porations, while the house is composed largely of farmers. When the vote was taken on the sections of the resolution applying to tho prohibition and public utilities bills there were fow dissenting votes to the indorsement of house bills Nos. 1 and S5. Later a resolution was introduced and passed instructing the secretary to send copies of the resolutions to Governor Bamberger, the president of the senate and speaker of the house. The convention conven-tion also went on record requesting the legislature to provide for taxation of mines and mining property in equality with other property taat is subject to assessment. The land registration act in the senate was indorsed and the elimination of the breeders' certificate clause in the present bull law was requested re-quested for January 1, 1918. The farm bureau representatives indorsed the action ac-tion of the county agriculturists in declaring de-claring for more and better livestock as the state project for 1917. Owinc to the fact that Mr. McKay, president of the bureau, was on the progrnmrae, E. W. Creer of Spanish Fork, vice president, presided as chairman chair-man of the convention. Following the business session, Dr. R. J. Evans, state leader of county farm agents, delivered a lecture on the subject "What Will Make Farm Bureau Work Successful?" The programme also included two selections selec-tions by the Utah Agricultural college glee club. |