Evening star., 1933-02-26
TYD|NGS BEER BILL
MAY. Be D. c. Law
Enactment Depends on Ma.
tional LegisIation-Com.
pared With N. Y. Plan.

The proposed beer bill for the Dis
EiCt Of Columbia reported Thursday
from the House District Committee. has
been changed from the form in which
1t was originally introduced by Repre-
sentative Loring Black Of New York.
The new House bill is, with two slight
changes, the Tydings beer bill which
has been introduced in the Senate and
still awaits action by the Senate Dis
trict Committee.
1t is the understanding among House
leaders that the bill will not be taken
up for action in the House at this ses-
Eon of Congress unless the Senate
should pass the Collier national beer
bill. which passed the House, or the
Blaine beer bill If the Collier bill OF
Blaine bill were passed by both houses
and signed by the President. House
leaders have pointed out that 1t would
be necessary to pass bill for regula-
tton of sale of beer In the District.
necessary at this session Of Congress.
The text Of the measure finally
agreed upon to be passed by the House
under suspension of the rules-a neces-
Bary procedure at this stage Of the Ses-
aon if it Is to be passed at all-lends
interest to the beer control plan re-
Gently recommended by the New York
State Liquor Commission, appointed by
the Governor to suggest liquor control
legislation. This article will attempt to
describe the main features of the New
York plan-not yet embodied in legis-
lation-and the plan for control Of
No. ;,, trtr u-rit ~
the 1ydings bill.
Promotion Of Temperance.
The New York commission has al
ready enunciated certain fundamental
principles upon which 1t believes the
New York beer bill, when finally draft
I'd. should be based.
Outstanding among these is its dec
Aration that "the primary object Of a
proposed system of liquor control
should be the promotion Of temperance
rather than the development Of reve-
nues for the State"
The Tydings BILL however, states a.
the outset that 1t is ito provide reve-
hue for the District of Columbia by the
taxation of beverages, and for other
purposes" It gives no consideration to
the promotion of temperance along
the lines of the proposals Of the New
York group.
Another interesting phase Of the New
York plan contemplates the creation OF
q State Liquor Control Board. Its MEM
bers to be selected In accordance with
definite regulations and to serve with
out pay. Similar agencies have been
devised for the various counties and the
City Of New York.
The Tydings bill places all regulatory
powers subject to the limitations Of the
act in the hands of the District Com
missioners, who are appointed by the
President
Commissions Statement.
Discussing the temperance promotion
feature 4 lis plan, the New York COM
mission scfd:
In view of the interest Of the COM
mission and of all forward-looking
people Of this State toward the ulti-
mate attainment Of temperance. the
commission recommends that an ap-
propriate sum per year be set aside
frem the proceeds of the proposed tax.
to be used by the educational authori-
ties of the State for the promotion Of
temperance education.
This temperance education should
be based en- the latest scientific knowl-
edge as to the effect Of alcohol on the
human body The subject should be
dealt with on the historical, the eco
nomic, the psychological and the moral
sides. It should not be confined TO- the
schools and colleges Of the State, but
should be carried on among the people
Of the State generally.
1T is hoped by this plan Of temper
arce education to overcome many OF the
evil conditions which have increased
since 1920"
Although the local advocates Of legal
lzed beer have contended 1t would pro.
mote temperance by discouraging the
drinking Of liquor in speakeasies and
homes, they have not suggested that
my active steps be taken along this
Tine, nor has any one proposed that
any portion of the revenue to be de-
rived from the legalization Of beer in
the District be used for temperance
education.
The New York plan, although taking
Q relatively liberal view of the extent
10 which beer should be sold, imposes
careful safeguards in the selection Of
the personnel of the boards to control
the manufacture and sale Of the bev
brage.
Personnel Important.
In reporting on this aspect Of the
problem Of regulation, the commission
oaid:
"A principle which the commission
pegards as vital, and which goes to the
root Of the abuses growing out Of the
efforts prior to prohibition to conrtol
the manufacture, sale and consumption
of alcoholic beverages, is that the per-
sonnel Of all boards dealing directly
with this subject should be Of the high
est character and judgment.
In the last analysis and irrespective
Of the methods of control legally pro-
vided for, the actual re-ultS sought can
be no better than the quality Of the
personnel appointed to constitute the
control boards created to administer the
Law. 1t Is essential, therefore, that care
be taken to provide for the composition
of such boards SO that their members
shall be removed so far as possible from
Ill improper influence.
The commission believes that gen.
orally throughout the United States
during the period preceding prohibi-
tion the licensing and control authOrl-
circumstance the commission traces
much of the corruption and abuse
which undoubtedly attached to the
manufacture, sale and use of alcoholic
beverages, including the allegiance be-
tween the liquor interests and the po-
litical interests. Devising a method
calculated to prevent recurrence Of
such evils the commission found to be
. difficult task.
The commission believes that the
heart Of sound solution Of the con-
trol problem is to be found in the
methods by which the membership Of
State and local boards Of control and
their agents and employees are to be
selected and appointed. So far as pos
sible, all such appointments must be
removed from the influence Of political
parties and of politics, and sense Of
direct responsibility to the community
should be engendered through the ef-
fectiveness of the methods prescribed
by law to govern such appointments.