Evening star., 1933-09-17
LUSK LIQUOR PLAN
OUTLAWS SALOON
Proposal Is Patterned After
Swedish System of
Control.

A definite plan for control of the
sale and handling Of liquor in the
District of Columbia, fashioned after
the Swedish or "Bratt system" has
been drafted in tentative outline by
Rufus S. Lusk of this city, national
legislative officer of the Crusaders dur
ing the past two years.
The plan. he said last night, will be
placed in final form in the next few
weeks and will be submitted to Chair
man King of the Senate District Com
mittee for consideration during hear
ings the Utah Senator proposes to
hold on the subject prior to the open
ing of Congress.
Senator King last week declared his
intention of holding public hearings
on adoption of new liquor control leg
islation for the District, anticipating
repeal of the eighteenth amendment.
Would Ban Saloon.
Discussing major details of the sys-
tenn he believes should be adopted for
the District, Lusk said his plan would
provide a positive means of control of
old-time saloon illegal, would provide
for analysis of the quality of liquor
offered for sale and set limit on the
profits of the liquor interests.
An interesting feature of the Lusl.
proposal is for the setting aside of a
fund out of the tax revenues from
liquor for the teaching of true tenn
perance.
Lusk estimated, on the basis Of aver
age consumption figures for the United
States in pre-war days that liquor sales
and license tax revenues would amount
to ST ,525 900 a year here. This in
cludes an estimate for beer revenues.
Calls for Commission.
The whole plan revolves about the
proposed creation of District Beverage
Commission of three members, to be ap-
pointed by the President, under con-
gressional authority. Such commits
sion would have complete and absolute
control over the sale, manufacture and
distribution of liquor here. LuSk would
require members of the commission to
have been legal residents of the Dis
trict for 10 years prior to appointment.
To assure commissioners of responsible
type, he would fix their salaries at $4,000
a year for the chairman and $500
for the two others.
The commission, under the proposed
plan. would issue a license to a linn
tied dividend corporation which would
be given exclusive right to sell all
LIQUORS, wines and beer having an alco-
holic content of more than 80 per cent.
The corporation would select and open
between 100 and $50 retail stores where
liquor, in package form. for consump-
ton elsewhere, would be sold during
specified hours Only these stores could
legally handle liquor in this form.
Bona fide restaurants and hotels IL
censed by the commission for liquor
consumption on their premises would
be supplied by the corporation on a
quota system. The purpose OF this
would be not to prevent the filling OF
vent the retailers from stimulating alb
normal sales. he said
Board Would Fix Price.
Depending on the size of the hotel
or restaurant, such licensee would
be allowed certain quantity OF liquor
and wine each month at price CAL
culated to enable the place to resell
it at a profit. After this quota had
been used up, the next consignment
during the same period would be at a
higher price. and so on until the IL
censee would be selling finally at cost
figures.
All prices. both for the sale of liquor
at stores and in restaurants and hotels
would be fixed by the commission. All
profits above a reasonable dividend tc
the licensee would be returned to the
District.
Prior to prohibition there were 326
retail licenses in the District. Lusk
believes the number on the proposed
system would be less since permits
would 60 only to bona fide restaurants
and hotels. exclusive of the corpora
tion's supply stores.
Revenues Estimated.
Lusk estimated that issuance OF 300
hard LIQUOR licenses at $500 a year
would bring to the District $450000;
tax revenues based on pre-war con-
sumption of 100000 gallons of hard
liquor, at 81 a gallon. $750.000; sale
of 100000 gallons of wines at Is cents
a gallon, $4,000; and beer licenses ano
taxes, $250,000.
The plan would provide the commits
sion with between $50,000 and $4,000
for its operations, including inspection
of licensed places. 1t proposes use Of
another S500O0 annually for temper
ance education, this to deal with the
scientific" effects Of use Of hard liquor
LllSk emphasized that II snouio pe
the aim of the commission to set the
liquor prices high enough to yield q
good revenue, but at the same time not
so high that the bootlegger,, because Of
his lower prices, would be able to mar.
ket his wares. He frankly stated that
the competition from the bootleggers
likely would present serious problem
for some time after repeal is approved
partment officials said this would be
futile, since the Civil Service Commis-
sion can do no more than carry out