Evening star., 1933-12-31
.D|SPENSARY SALES
URGEDF0RC CAPITAL
District Committee Members
Join in Asking Liquor Plan
Be Considered.
Continued From First Page.)

Continued From First Page)
committee If they thought hearings
should be held.
Chairman King of the Senate Com
mittee Is sympathetic toward the idea
OF Government dispensarieS, but is keep
ing an open mind as to final decision
until after the Senate hearings. He said
he wanted the people in the District to
have ample opportunity to express their
views, and then to work out a bill that
would be for the best interests of the
community as a whole. He summed up
his own desire in relation to the liquor
control legislation as follows: Il want O
bill that will promote temperance, pre-
vent the return of the saloon under
any guise and discourage the use Of
hard liquor"
Would Hasten Income,
Representative Stalker declared that
he Will insist on hearings being held on
the liquor control question, but desires
to hasten the passage Of this legislation
SO that the District can get the revenue
as soon as possible
One OF the two purposes In the re-
peal Of the eighteenth amendment"
Mr.. Stalker said. was to secure revenue,
and so the revenue on sales of liquor
consumed in the District should not
go TO neighboring States. However" I"
ne argues, the excise tax and license
fee should not be all that the traffic
will bear There should be a happy
medium. We must put the tax and
license fee low enough so that the
bootlegger will not find it profitable
to continue in business.
Il believe the people of the District
should have an opportunity to express
their wishes on such g Ttal subjec...
For that reason, I WILL insist upon hear
ings being held and that no effort be
made, as with the beer BILL to rush
through a measure that would have
to be torn 10 pieces on the floor OF the
House or IN the Senate But am op-
posed to lengthy hearings and would
lied Spokesmen for organizations or
responsible groups.
Il am convinced that the best way Of
controlling legal liquor traffic is through
Government dispensary and ! will try
my hardest to have such law passed"
Model BIZ Urged.
Another Democratic House Commit
tee member Joined last night with those
who are advocating hearings on the
control legislation before II IS reported
to the House Representative Jennings
Randolph of West Virginia expressed
the opinion that hasty action would
be misunderstood by the people all
over the country who are looking 10
Washington and Congress for model
legislation on this subject. In express
ing his views, Representative Randolph
said:
Americans as a whole and not only
Washington residents will be looking to
the liquor bill OF the District OF Co.
lumbia asa model measure for the Ma
tiOn.
1T is, therefore. highly advisable. I
believe. that in our desire to have
prompt action on such legislation, we
should not be turned aside from the
fact that a fair and adaptable meas
ure must not be sacrificed for speed, as
the hour for the opening Of Congress
approaches.
Undue delay would also bring merit
ed criticism. just as too quickly dispos-
ing of this important matter.
1t Is, therefore with this thought
in mind, that I favor hearings which
will be a basis. not for a complete tear
ing up of the proposals already made,
but simply as a check against criti-
c!sm Of presenting a half-baked Dis
Favors Private Dispensaries
"A low liquor tax is advisable. since
1t should tend to make fair liquor prices
and thus discourage, If not eliminate,
the evils of continued bootlegging
Under the proper supervision. I believe
there is no valid reason why private
dispensing of liquor is not preferable to
any Federal system. The Government
Will receive revenue and 1t is therefore
proper that liquor be sold under ade-
quate supervision by hotels and res
taurants, by drug stores and others who
meet the requirements"
Senator Carey's Views.
Several days ago Senator Carey said
he was considering either Government
dlspensaries or private corporation
subject to Government control of its
earnings, to handle the distribution of
bottled liquor. He said yesterday he
had concluded the Government should
handle the distribution, believing that
would safeguard the quality and price
and give the city the revenue derived
from sales. He said it might possibly
be advisable to license hotels to serve
liquor.
The trend toward consideration of
CllC QISpSllSdlg SySGtlll Oh SdplGUl Hill
began last week when Senator Couzens
Republican. of Michigan, a District
Committee member, advocated munich
pal stores for the sale of bottled liquor,
with privNe licenses confined TO such
places as may be authorized to serve
liquor at tables. At the same time,
Senator Gore. Democrat. of Oklahoma
also on the local committee, declared
scme way should be found to e.. Il =
the private profit factor and that he
was seriously considering having some
governmental agency handle distribu-
ton. In the interest of temperance,
he also advocated that emphasis be
placed on beer and light wines in pref
erence to hard liquor
Tydings to Study Plans.
Senator TydingS, Democrat, Of Mary
land, another District Committee men,
Der. said yesterday he has had no op
portunity to study the proposed local
bill or the general question of what
form of control should be adopted here.
He was not ready. therefore, to COM
ment on the question at this time.
The bill drafted by Representative
Smith of Virginia is patterned after the
plan recently recommended by the
Liquor Control Commission OF Virginia,
which. he said, will prevent the return
of evils inherent in the old system that
brought about the adoption of the
eighteenth amendment.
There are two very distinct lines OF