Evening star., 1933-03-21
DISTRICT BEER BILL
REPORT MAY REACH
HOUSE LATE today
Changes Made by Committee
Make Rewriting of Meas.
ure Necessary.
SENATE GROUP DECIDES
TO HOLD BRIEF HEARINGS
Chairman Tydings, Promising
Speed, Will Limit Each Side
to Two Witnesses.

With approval Of the District beer
bill In prospect this week, the House
district Committee moved swiftly today
to get the measure on the House
calendar as soon as possible.
Representative PalmiSano, Democrat,
of Maryland, sponsor of the bill, an
nounced that the measure, with the
amendments agreed to by the commit
tee, probably would be in shape to re-
port to the House late today. Rewriting
Of the bill has been made necessary by
the changes.
In the Senate, however, the Tydings
beer bill for the District, q counterpart
Of the Palmisano bill, has not moved
quite as far on its legislative journey.
The Senate District Committee at its
meeting late yesterday decided to hold
brief hearings on the measure to give
both vets and drys q final opportunity
to air their views.
Hearing Date Not Fixed.
The hearings will be held by . wet
subcommittee, but the date has not, yet
been fixed. The subcommittee Is COM
posed Of Senator Tydings. Democrat, OF
Maryland; Senator Lewis, Democrat, Of
Illinois and Senator Carey, Republican,
Of Wyoming.
Senator Tydings, who will serve as
chairman of the beer subcommittee,
made it clear there would be no undue
delay in getting the bill before the
Senate. He said he would limit the
hearings to two witnesses from each
side, with the same number on each
proposed amendment.
AS amended by the House District
Committee, the bill calls for 80 beer.
= reduces the local tax per barrel from
81 20 to 81, requires a separate license
for each hotel that Is member OF
chain, and increases the license fee for
those handling beer in bulk from $25
to $50.
Further Changes Possible.
The bill may also be changed some
what by the Senate Committee. Sen
ator Tydings indicated he was favor
ably disposed toward an amendment
that would prohibit the sale to minors.
A similar amendment was eliminated
from the national beer bill in confer
ence, but Senator Tydings said IN that
instance q local police regulation was
being attached to Nationwide legisla-
ton, whereas the District Committee Is
dealing with local regulations Tor the
District.
Another amendment the Senate
Committee will be asked to consider
would authorize refreshment and bar
becue stands which have automobile
parking facilities to serve beer on trays
to motorists. In its present form. the
bin requires the beer to be served ct
tables in restaurants.
Since there IS no time limitation In
the local bill for legalizing the manu-
factsre and sale Of beer! the District
- ~ mill ha In a n0Gts
tion to get beer on the same date it Is
localized nationally. Therefore. II the
District bill Is passed this week. beer
advocates point out that brewers and
dealers will have sufncient time to
prepare for the beer trade.
LUX Suggests Amendments.
Rufus s. Lusk, national legislative
oficer Of the Crusaders, suggested
number Of amendments to the bill dur
ing the hearings before the House COM
mittee.
The outstanding changes he proposed
were designed to prevent the brewers
from owning the establishments where
beer is sold and to make flexible the
limitation on the number Of licenses
issued, 80 that each neighborhood could
be allowed q suficient number OF estao-
ushments to meet the demand.
Lusk's proposed amendment to keep
brewers from owning the establishments
where beer Is sold, he said, would pre-
vent one Of the evils Of the pre-
prohibition era. His proposed amend
ment would require the applicant Tor q
license to furnish q sworn statement
that no brewer, manufacturer, whole
saler or distributor Of beverages has
any direct or indirect financial interest
In the premises upon which the business
licensed Is to be carried on"
Lusk also argued that the bill as
now framed would prevent the Com
missioners from licensing additional
beer establishments in q neighborhood
where the demand for the beverage
might increase. The bill in its present
form would require the Commissioners
to determine the whole number Of IL
eenses to be issued in the District be-
fore issuing any licenses. The only re-
striction that the Lusk amendment
would impose is that the Commissioners,
In issuing a license, take into considers
ton the number Of licenses already
issued in the immediate neighborhood
where such licensed business is to be
conducted.
brewers License" Proposed.
Another amendment proposed py
Lusk would create brewers license"
in addition to the ION sale" and "off
sale" licenses as provided In the bill.
The brewers license would cost $1,000
. year.
Lusk further urged that the bill be
amended so licenses would be granted
only to an individual and In his per-
sonal name, and If obtained for the
purpose OF using 1t in the business or
on behalf Of an individual, proprietor
association, or firm, partnership or
corporation, the application be accom-
panied by q declaration to that effect
and duly signed by each member Of
such partnership or by the principal
officers.
In such case the individual pro-
prietor, association, or corporation
would be responsible for any fine and
costs which the holder of the license
might be required to pay and the
amount thereof could be recovered be-
fore any court having jurisdiction
without prejudice to the prosecution
Of the individual Mcensee.
In addition, this proposed amendment
would limit the number of licenses to
five for any association, f1rm, partner
ship or corporation.