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Show Youth, Liquor, Church Tangle; Youth Loses By Paul S. Taylor Colonel Elmer G. Thomas of Salt Lake City's Twenty-four Stakes of Zion Law Enforcement and Observance Committee has again stepped in the middle of a muddy puddle. Summer '66 found Thomas and the League on the path of righteousness, this time in pursuance of the area's alcohol vendors. ven-dors. The league apparently found a nineteen year-old Kaysville youth to pose at being of legal age who would try to purchase liquor from area package stores. Undesirable Element When the league finished its research and released the findings find-ings based on the youth's visits to Salt Lake liquor stores, they no doubt thought they had rid the Valley of an undesireable element. ele-ment. A Salt Lake area package agency was closed by the Utah State Liquor Control Commission and a clerk was fired and subsequently charged with illegal sale of liquor to a minor. Still a Violation Utah's Attorney General Phil Hansen considerably dampened the effect of the league's victory with his decision that regardless of the intent of the league's actions it had violated state statutes in urging a minor to break the liquor laws. Since Hansen's decision became public, the youth has been charged with illegal purchase of an alcoholic beverage, his father, also a member of the league has been charged with aiding and abetting the illegal purchase. County Attorney Grover A. Giles hinted his office may file additional charges against "groi-who "groi-who may have aided, abetted or counciled the Kaysville you1'1 actions. Gov. Calvin L. Rampton has hinted recently that the com of Utah had better shape up in enforcement policies or the million in funds given yearly by the state to the counties for forcement will be withdrawn and a state run enforcement age will be set up. 1 Enforcement Change The Governor has stated his position and it merits consid tion; but it is not the answer. First and foremost, the coui need the funds. Second, it seems doubtful that a state dire agency could do any better at the liquor law enforcement gi than the country. They are governed by the laws enacted by legislature. Perhaps the controversy will continue and even deepen; by the same token perhaps it will die out. If it deepens, it i eventually prompt the legislature to take another long loo! Utah's archaic liquor laws and think again, this time more cessfully, about a revision of the laws to allow Utah's eight year olds to drink beer and those of twenty-one years or olde purchase liquor by the drink and allow six percent beer into state. Who knows, perhaps the league may have started the rolling toward a revision in the liquor statutes. |