Evening star., 1933-01-17
Lccel Beer Bill Premature.

Lccel Beer Bill Premature.
Tire argument may be made thai the
pc 2osed bill for contro. q the sac Of
be- in the Distr.ct. h-:..ngs en- which
are beginning today. i not rs severe
i'll the restrictions it imposes on beer
vending places IS were the rest1icsion5
unaer the cid high-hcense ssstcm, be-
cause this measure deals only with
beverages Of a low alcoholic content
and is not representative of the type
OF saloon n-outlawing legislation that will
be sought II end when the eighteenth
amendment is repealed.
As matter of fact. enactment of
any local beer law now is premat ture
Such law should follow both the Ma
tienal bser bill, if there is to be
one, and the repeal of the eighteenth
amendmant There is no force in the
Argument that q practically unrostrictive
saloon law should be enacted now for
beer, and that later this law should be
cut down AMI deprived of its saloon
permitting features when other liquors
than beer can BE- sold after repeal of
the eighteenth amendment Beer sales
constituted 81 per cent (by volume) of
all the liquor sold in 1914 in caloons.
II beer sales are legalized n advance
OF the repeal of the eighteenth amend
ment with more saloons and less rc-
strictions than under the old high
license f-'-t2m Of pre-prohibition days,
the neu cg'1tem Of beer distribution thus
established cannot be altered and re-
formed when the volume Of liquor sales
is increased by mere nine or ten per
cent after repeal of the eighteenth
amendment.
Congress cannot consistently repeal
the Sheppard law or modify the Vol
stead law and through local legislation
set uo a multitude of selling places for
beer ell over the District wit., ION sale"
licenses that while avoiding the word
saloon, extend and intensity some of
the worst evils Of the old .-aloon sys-
tenn and later change over radically
the beer saloon system to one that sat-
isfies the anti-saloon pledges and re-
stores, at least, the old safeguards
against salcon evils.
The saloon system for beer should not
be restored, with less regulation than
under the old high license law. merely
with the promise or understanding that
the system will be revised and the sa-
loon eliminated when distilled liquors
may be sold with beer.
That would be marching up hill only
to march down again. Or it might
be more appropriate figure to say
that it would be marching down hill,
with a tentative agreement to march
up again some time if possible and If
convenient.
A local beer bill when enacted, should
seek to apply accurately and specifically
to the conditions which will exist when
1t shall become actually operative.
If enacted at this session. the pro-
rcsed local beer bill should be in
spccted measured carefully as to each
item from beginning to end and radi-
cally c-.cred from the form in which
It has been written and introduced.
The cid saloon could not, under the
pre-prchibition high-license system, be
located in a residence section cf the
city or within 900 feet of a church or
school or within a mile Of Soldiers
Hcme. The ION sale" saloon can be
located anywhere. The old saloon could
not sell to minors. hut the age limit is
lowered to eighteen in the pending bill
The old saloon could not open ON Sun
day, but under the proposed bill "cn
sale" saloons could be open on Sunday
The applicant for license under the
old high-license system had to meet
certain qualifications as to age, char
acter and previous record in liquor law
Observance. But under the proposed
bill for the District anybcdy, appar-
emily. could get license to sell beer.
provided the beer shop met certain
vague characteristics of a bona fide
restaurant, club. eating place." etc, and
provided the hcepsce was not a brewer
or Wholesale liquor dealer. Under the
old Excice Board the granting Of a
license could be refused. The proposed
bill grants no such discretion to the
superintendent of licenses. The old -sZ-
else Board posted public notice of ap-
plications for licenses. and gave pro-
testart5 an opportunity to object to the
granting OF such licenses Under the
propoced bill the license would appar-
emily be matter between the licensee
ana the superintendent of licenses, and
Washing .onicns would be left helpless
to prc"cnt the Establishment of a beer
saloon in any neighborhood where
koning regulations permitted Club
or an eating place"