Show I Senator f Charges t G Gf Graft ra f t in In L Liquor S Shortage hortage i Meli h Claims Existence stence if Of Of Capitol Drinking Club f t By Thomas Mathews Current investigation of the shortage at the Brigham Street treet p pharmacy ar a y liquor ag agency cy erupted in the special session of the Utah legislature Thursday amid charges charges' ot of graft ft corruption I and political chicanery Force of the explosion centered In In the senate during discussion of ofa ofa I Ia a joint resolution calling for hc he I state legislative council to conduct an independent audit of the liquor commission and to Investigate the Brigham Street pharmacy incident Existence nce of a capitol drinking club frequented by high state officials officials of of- In the back room of the Brigham Street pharmacy at E Estreet Estreet Estreet street and South Temple was waa charged by Sen Mitchell Metich R. R Grand Delivery of truckloads of liquor to private clubs an and In one Instance instance instance in in- stance with highway patrol protection protection pro pro- was alleged during debate on the resolution r t Further charges were made con con- the use UBe of private recorded on machines to obtain protection and influence policy polley i In a state t ta a t. t te administration circles I Upshot of f the e en sensational s II a at t I 1 6 0 n at charges was passage of the resolution tion by a vote of 21 Y I ayes s s. s The house in a milder frame of ot ml mind d also adopted th the resolution by y a a vote of ot 50 to 8 Existence of ot records records' and the us use of ot machine was first firt called to public attention on March 8 in an exclusive at story atory ry in the Salt SaIt Lake Telegram Power for forthe the eruption was waa SUPplied SUP SUP- I plied March 2 1 when more than worth of liquor r was waa re re reported ported stolen from the state package agency located in hi the thep p pharmacy h arm a c y Circumstances sur surrounding surrounding rounding the theft indicated it could not have occurred during the time reported according to Edward Edward Edward Ed Ed- ward M M. Morrissey Salt Lake coun county y attorney Liquor l Missing An audit by the liquor commission commis sion sian showed cases of whiskey generally the better and more moree e- e pensive brands was waa was was' missing A second audit by Ferrell H H. Adams Adam l state auditor and his dep deputies Ues r revealed re re revealed major errors in In accounting procedures followed by the liquor commission Information from the second audit is is' the grounds for tor an embezzlement embezzlement em em- complaint promised by Mr M Morrissey t The spark for Thursday Thursdays explosion ex en was supplied b by Sen id Ich who arose to speak on the the joint resolution Referring t to the transfer of the agency on Jan JaIL 2 1946 from train f former former for for- r. r mer owners owners' to Cyrus V. V Lack present manager Sen Mench said d One com ner yas ner er was very much opposed t to the e tr transfer because of ot Lacks Lack's liquor violation including sale on Sundays and irregularities in following the stat states state's liquor rationing rationing ra- ra regulations regulation during the th theW W War r. r h Pay Increased S When en Lack took over his salary salary sal sal- ary was set at at 1000 compared l to to 1100 per month for the previous manager After tremendous pressure pressure pres pres- sure by important state officials the salary was increased to 1100 while the objecting commissioner was away Sen said f Mentioning that agency operators operators oper oper- are compensated by the amount of or liquor they y sell Sen Sen M lich Uch said L Lack encouraged d various vari vait- oWl one clubs to purchase liquor from him im by promising t the e clubs pro protection ro o from being picked up for all allowing sale by the drink by y commission corn com mission enforcement agents Sen said Mr Lack was WM rather a boastful man man who bragged of ot f his connections with th the state officials S Lack said ald he could back up his guarantees of immunity through through- these connections the lIe senator said sardo S In Back Room BoorD In th the back of the room pharmacy pharmacy pharmacy phar phar- macy I understand is 11 a capitol capit l drinking club where certain high officials make their rendezvous See Page l 1 8 Column 1 t M f- f t i h- h Ch Charges V Graft I. I In Liquor Shortage Con Continued from Page One Sent Sen continued I r 1 dont don't know how the liquor was was furnished or how many bot- bot consumed or whether it was furnished at the expense of f the officials of at Lack or of the state t bu but the r reported ported I loss indicates it was at t state taxpayers taxpayers taxpayers' taxpayers taxpayers' tax tax- payers' payers expense Sen said Raid that large social social so so- cial claf parties given by state officials were supplied with liquor from tram the Lack agency Since there is Js doubt whether the liquor was paid for by officials Lack or the state there is a need need for an Investigation he added Told of ot Audit I A UA week before rc the reported burglary an auditor of the liquor commission called Lack and notified noti noU- fled fied him of a s forthcoming admin admin- audit Sen continued Lack stalled saying his was sick and then the alleged break- break In took place Another thing Is the rumbling of certain recordings Lack played R a clever game and to endear himself with the admin I he recorded disparaging remarks against th the governor governor- by disloyal high officials In order to provide protection n for himself he also recorded conversations with liquor commission personnel the senator charged All this is hearsay Sen said but I am told It can be corroborated from men under oath He then asked tar for an audit independent In Independent independent in- in dependent of the state auditors auditor's survey on the grounds that the state auditor already has a deputy In the liquor commission office who failed to catch obvious errors in accounting I It It Is bl time Ume- Ume 0 to get to the bottom of ot this thing and to allow state officials to answer the charge charged going around he concluded Trucks Tricks of Liquor r The ball bal then was taken by Sen Rue L. L Clegg R R. Salt Lake who referred to his exposure last session of ot the legislature of ot 25 to 30 clubs selling liquor over the barI barI bar I understand on n good authorIty authority authority author author- ity he said that some of thC these e clubs have sold liquor in truckload lo lots and are given protection The protection in one case case- included a highway patrol escort to an Ogden club The pay-off pay was 15 per case above commission prices Sen Warwick C. C Lamoreaux D. D Salt Lake took the floor at this point to favor placing the spotlight on the maligned pharmacy pharmacy pharmacy phar phar- macy and the entire state liquor monopoly I am glad we have a grand jury he said so that if it law enforcement does not get In deep and quick judges of the Third district district district dis dis- dis- dis court can call citizens to do dot it t I want it clearly understood there here is no disposition among among- the Democrats to whitewash this thing Liquor Returned Sen returned t 16 th the fray to note that he had it from an unimpeachable source that one private clubs club's liquor was returned to o it and the stock of three others destroyed following a recent raid Tremendous pressure exerted by byth bythe bythe th the cub which received its liquor back gave it the favored treatment treatment treatment treat treat- ment he added Sen Ward C. C Holbrook D D. D Davis vis declared that the trouble I Ilay lay at the e door of ot Gov Herbert B. B Maws Maw's reorganization of the state government He asked the senate to consider replacing constitutional constitutional con con- con I checks and balances I upon the power of the chief tive Uve The house resolution was spon sponsored sponsored by David T T. Lewis Levis R. R Salt Lake S S. S Wayne C CIa Clark l a r k CR R R. I Tooele and by his own own request est I John Murch CD D. D Cache Seen Scents Scandal Rep Lewis bore the brunt of turning the spotlight on the thc indications in of possible widespread public scandal in connection with the thc liquor commission At At all times the state stale auditor has deputies located in the liquor commission offices and he should have known of oC the shortages years ago Rep Lewis said Of the he eight opposing votes all came from Democrats who In explaining explaining explaining ex ex- their votes indorsed the investigation but protested against the legislative council conducting It They also hurled frequent reference reference reference ref ref- ref ref- to politics Opposing votes were cast by B Banned Bonacci Cope Doty Jack Larson Mitchell and Olson |