Salt Lake Telegram | 1936-04-21 | Page 1 | Grand Jury Beer Probe Demanded

RAND JURY BEER DEMANDED cf- cf J. J ix y i i- i iE E 5 44 Allan S. S Acts as Liquor Commission Places Inquiry in Hands Hand's of Its A Attorneys Stresses 7 Need of Impartiality t jJ 7 By JENNINGS PHILLIPS PHILLIPS I Call all for a special grand jury to investigate the activities of the thc state stafe liquor control commission and retention of a a special prosecutor to handle the probe was demanded Tuesday Tues Tues- II day by Allan S. S Salt Lake City attorney and chairman chair chair- man of the Republican state committee Mr also is a former president of the Utah State Bar and a former member of the state legislature Citing Widespread and persistent rumors of graft and and- irregularities in the granting of beer licenses in the state of Utah and the general loose attempt at enforcement of the he the state li liquor control act Mr l stressed the immediate need for a n complete and impartial investigation of the tho sit sit- fc The demand for the special grand jury investigation came on the heels of the liquor commissions commission's appointment of its attorneys E. E M. M Bagley and Henry D. D Moyle to t take ke charge of an investigation of purported graft rumors in connection connection connection con con- with granting of beer licenses in Salt Lake county The investigation by Mr Moyle and Mr Bagley it was announced d probably would not start until Monday Monday- due to i the press of private business QUESTIONS PROPRIETY OF ACTION In a public statement Mr l questioned iid of the appointment of Mr 11 Moyle l and Mr Bagley c o investigate purported conditions and expressed the fear that unless an impartial committee of investigators investigators' are placed in charge of the probe it is to be assumed that the final report re re- re report port will vill in effect be a very thorough whitewash of the commissions commission's activities In lieu of the appointment of an unbiased commission for a thorough investigation Mr lUre Tinge s 's statement said I respectfully urge that the presiding judge of Third judicial district court call can a special grand jury to investigate the activities of the commission in the Third judicial district District Judge Roger I. I M McDonough Donough presiding judge of Third judicial district was engaged on the bench during the afternoon and could not be reached for con comment ment on Mr statement COULD NOT BE REACHED Chairman Hugh B. B Brown of the liquor control commis commission commission sion likewise could not be reached for comment Mr Moyle also declined to comment I have no comment to make he told The Telegram If Mr lIr has any facts which warrant calling of a grand jury he lie should present them to the district attorney and let the law take its course Governor Henry H. H Blood said be lie had no comment on 11 Mr demand and issued the following statement in InI I connection with ith the probe by the liquor commission ati attorneys attorneys at at- i I E M. M Bagley and Henry D. D Moyle special attorneys for forthe forthe the liquor commission have been requested to look into all matters that have been the subject o of criticism and I shallin shall shall- in due time receive a report through the commission I 1 I think it proper to leave Jea the attorneys free to obtain the complete picture The attorney also recommended appointment of a n specia special cial cia prosecutor to make such an investigation effective and stressed that he lie did not want his demand for such a probe tb 16 be construed as a political maneuver NOT POLITICS In effect this is not a political t tiling thing ng he lie said But the welfare of the entire state is at stake The secretive operations of the liquors liquor commission are entirely foreign to what the citizens of Utah Uth may expect of any state depart depart- ment Prefacing his call for a grand jury investigation Mr said The present widespread dissatisfaction with activities of the state liquor control commission its lax enforcement of provisions of the control act claimed to have resulted in the death of Richard Aimon Jardine ar c compels me to to make mak the he following statement For many months th there ro have havo been widespread and persistent rumors rumors rumors ru ru- ru- ru mors of ot graft and irregularities in inthe inthe the tho granting of beer licenses andIn andIn and In the general loose attempt at enforcement enforcement enforcement en en- of the tho provisions of the act As a result of ot the regrettable murder of ot this young resident of ot Salt Lake City c complete investigation tion lion of charges of irregularities in methods of applying for beer licenses li licenses li- li censes was ordered Monday night E M. M Bagley and Henry D. D Moyle commission attorneys were placed in charge of the tho tion The operation of ot the commis- commis Continued on Page Pare Two Two Two- I Column Out Ou y DEMAND MADE FOR GRAND ORAND JURY JURY- Continued from p Page eO Op 9 Blon Is a s. matter of at such vital In Interest In- In terest to the general welfare the of-the citizens of ot the thc state that no money time tim or talent should be spared in making both a c comprehensive and ana penetrating investigation of ot Its af af- af- af fairs This matter is not not a political Issue but by reason of at its Ith implication ti tion becomes tion-becomes n becomes a matter of vital welfare welfare wel wel- fare to the entire state Because of ot that fact I 1 wish to urge the state stat liquor or control contra l commission to add to the who have been named to make nake the Investigation some person person per per- son or persons unbiased in favor of ot the commission and not appearing on on- its payroll I I am reliably informed that the excellent gentlemen named have been and are now receiving re re- re from the state liquor control control control con con- commission For that reason It would seem obvious they are arc not in a position to make in impartial investigation of ot their own own client Urges Shift To iTo any attorney suc such a e situation situation situa situa- tion seems unsupportable and to the layman it must bo be equally cle clear r that the attorneys for the commission commis commis- sion sian Io are not in the best position to uncover the facts In my opinion I these gentlemen should not ot be beca ca called led upon tipon pon to make an investigation In tion of the acts o of their client Instead Instead In In- i stead lead of ot their serving in this capacity capacity ca ca- ca- ca It would woul voul seem to me to be befar far better to have someone who has been bee completely detached from th the which has arisen Unless this is done it Js Is to be beS S assumed the final report of the In inVestigators t rs will in effect ct be bo a acry ary cry ry thorough whitewashing of tho the commissions commission's activity In JIn lieu Heu of ot appointment of an unbiased un unbiased unbiased un- un biased committee for an investigation tion I respectfully urge urge that the thc presiding r g judge of the Third judicial district I call a special grand jury to investigate the activities of the commission commission com corn mission In the Third judicial district dis dis- To make nake such an ar investigation effective I believe specIal prosecutors l tors should bo named to conduct the handling of the grand jury In In- In I dI earnestly contend that the welfare welfare wel wel- fare of the citizens of or the state is not within the exclusive control of ot the Democratic party The conduct and operation of ot the liquor control commission has been made a political political political cal issue through the political appointments ap appointments appointments ap- ap made mado by it Last ye year r when complaints were made about Republican appointments by the commission it was reported at a Democratic state committee meetIng meeting meet- meet Ing that 87 per cent of the of the liquor commission were Democrats I Makes Charge Moreover it Is rumored that ap applicants applicants ap- ap for beer licenses have havo generally generally gen gen- orally understood it was essential for them to employ Democratic at attorneys attorneys attorneys at- at to work for the granting of their heir licenses As Ai As a citizen of the state slate of Utah I think it is high time that the peoplE people peo- peo peo peo- pie are entitled to know w d definitely the salaries paid to members of ot the commission their allowance foe tor expenses expenses ex ex- and the numerous numerous other expenditures expenditures ex ex- about which there has bc secrecy to date In this this' connection also I contend contend con- con tend end the public is entitled to know the amount of or th the retainers retainers retainers' or or sal salaries rie paid various attorneys for forthe forthe the he commission To my it ls extremely ly significant sig sig- sig- sig ant that today today's Issue of oC The Tribune carried announcement b by commission the he of the resignation of Mr George Sutherland to become effective May Ma 1 It was w s reported he submitted his resignation April 1 li i. Wonders ond rs at Action It Is isto to be wondered whether this Information would have been made public were it not for the disclosures disclosures dis- dis closures made In n yesterdays yesterday's Salt Lake Telegram in c connection with certain checks of or Mr Sutherlands In conclusion I wish to state in hi my opinion my-opinion opinion the secretive operations of ot U the We e cO commission arE are entirely foreign to what citizens are entitled to expect in the he operations of ot any Apparently the liquor or control commission is a law unto itself itsel and nd its attitude in the op operation opera fa tion Uon of of- it its affairs affairs' has has- caused caused- spread dissatisfaction throughout the entire state stath i