Evening star., 1933-08-17
REPEAL REFERENDA
AND BEER URCED|N
| POLLARD MESSAGE
Asks Legislature to Name
Board to Study Liquor
Control.
END OF 18TH AMENDMENT
is SEEN BY DECEMBER |
Executive Warns Against Passage
of Regulatory Act Without
Popular Expression.
BY the Associated Press.


RICHMOND, Va, August II.
Stressing the belief that national prohi-
bition would be repealed by December
l, Gov. John Garland Pollard urged
today in his message to the extraordi-
nary session of the Virginia General
Assembly the legalization Of 80 beer.
In addition he requested the legisla-
tors to provide referenda on repeal Of
the national and State prohibition acts
on october 3, and also asked that q
commission be named to study and re-
port to the regular session Of the As
sembly in January on the liquor con-
troll bill as a substitute for the State
prohibition act.
Gov. Pollard also appealed to the
State Legislature to amend that sec
tion of the budget bill requiring him
to reduce expenses to meet revenues,
thereby preserving a balanced budget,
so that reductions would be limited to
80 per cent, the cut already made.
May Prevent Deficit.
Il make this recommendation in the
belief that prospective deficit for the
current year can be absorbed in the
next budget and that interest of the
State as whole would be better pro-
NOTED by this procedure than by max
ing further reduction in appropriations
for the current year" the Governor
said
As to 80 per cent beer, the Governor
recommended that 1t be sold openly by
persons whose good moral character
should be determined by the court
granting a license: that $500 bond be
required for observance of law, with
localities allowed to impose additional
restrictions; that breweries be pro-
hibited from owning or becoming inter-
ested financially in retail sale of beer
and that sale to persons under 18
years of age be prohibited
An excise tax of 10 cents per gal
Ion, or / cent per l2-ounce bottle, the
same as In North Carolina. was recon-
mended for beer. He urged a license
tax of 500 for breweries, $50 for
wholesalers and IS for retailers of beer
with localities allowed to impose ad-
ditional license of not more than So .0O0
for breweries. 81 900 for wholesalers
and $40 for retailers in cities and slO
elsewhere.
Recommends October 3.
referendum on repeal of the eight
eenth amendment, October 3. at which
not less than nine nor more than 40
delegates would be elected at large to
meet in convention and cast the vote
OF virginia, was given the Governor s
approval. He suggested that candi-
dates file notice with the secretary of
the commonwealth, stating whether
they were for or against repeal, and
that names to be placed on the ballot
be selected by a commission composed
OF the Governor, lieutenant governor
speaker Of the house and one Demo-
crat and one Republican, to be selected
by three named officials.
Details Of election. he said, would
be set out in a bill to be introduced.
He recommended three. instead of five
election officials, to serve at 50 per day,
and appropriation of not more than
$500 to defray expenses of convention,
in which delegates would serve without
pay, but with mileage of cents.
The Governor said he believed Ma
tional prohibition would be repealed by
December l, and that there would un-
doubtedly be a demand for a substitute
for the State prohibition act. He said
he dreaded the interim between Ma
tional repeal and adoption of State
control act. but that a new house
would be elected this Fall and
that he felt such act should be
drafted by a body fresh from the
people. He said he despaired of get
ting the four-fifths majority needed to
make the control act Immediately ef-
fective, unless the legislators have a
mandate from the people.
Pursuant to this view he urged that
the people on October 8 be given their
choice between continuance of State
prohibition and control act. and in
the event of State repeal. to say
whether the State system should be a
dispensary Or private license meas
ure, in either case preventing the sa-
loon and permitting local option.
Such referendum would be guide