Evening star., 1933-03-31

all the restrictions that gccd sense
and good judgment dictate"
Solicitors Questioned.
During the explanation by Senator
Tydings of the permit system carried
in the bill, Senator Norris of Nebraska
questioned the need of having solicitors
for the sale of beer licensed.
Senator Tydings said that the purpose
was to control as far as possible the
beer from producer to consumer He
said that If solicitors for the sale of
beer were permitted to sell from house
to house without having first been Ii
censed, violations of the law might
easily follow. He said that solicitors
who did not represent brewers and dis
penser5 properly licensed might under
take to sell fraudulently.
why not let the people who with
to buy beer go themselves to those Ii
censed places where it is to be sold?"
asked Senator Norris.
I'VE do not want huge number OF
peddlers going from house to house
trying to sell beer
Senator Tydings replied that if the
solicitors were not licensed there prob
ably would be much larger number
making house-to-house canvasseS for
the sale of beer
I'm the good old days" said Senator
Norris, I'VE didn't have that trouble and
I don't see why it should be necessary
to have beer peddled through solicitors
at the home like a lot of book agents"
Senator Robinson of Arkansas, the
Democratic leader, pointed out that if
the solicitors are not licensed, boot
leggers of beer could more easily solicit
buyers of their product made in viola
tion of the law.
Senator Tydings told the Senate that
the provision for the licensing of solic-
itors at 81 per year had been approved
by the opponents as well as the sup
porters of the beer bill during its con-
sideration in the District Committee
Senator CouZens, Republican, of
Michigan objected to the Senate Com
mittee provisions which would allow
barbecue stands to serve beer to Gus
toners in automobiles parked on the
premises because, he said, it would not
be possible to tell the age of persons
under the circumstances. He said he
did not see how a proprietor could tell
the age of persons when four or five
individuals are sitting in an automobile
and that therefore this provision
would be inconsistent with the ban
against selling beer to persons under 49,
Senator johnson, Republican, of Cali
fornia, wanted to know upon what
theory wine was included along with
beer with definition of 80 per cent
alcohol.
There isn't any such thing as 80 per
cent wine," Senator johnson declared
at is absurd and Objectionable to those
engaged in grape culture in California"
Senator Tydings said the only pur-
pose of the District Committee was to
make the local bill conform as nearly as
possible to the national bill, in which
the word wine was included.
Senator johnson pointed out that
the grape growers want separate bill,
which is pending in the House, and
which he said fixes 10 per cent as the
content for wine.
Replying to Couzens' objection to
serving beer to customers in automo-
biles, Senator Tydings said he did not
feel that he could change this provision
as spokesman for the committee, but
said he recognized the point of objec-
ton raised by Senator Couzens.
Senator johnson. said Il would like to
strike out of this bill the provision re-
lating to the manufacture and sale of
wine"
He said that bill he hoped would be
passed by the House later permitted the
manufacture and sale of wine of such
an alcoholic content as could be prop
erly manufactured.
Senator Tydings replied that when
such a wine bill came to the Senate
from the House he would be glad to
make provision by law for the sale of
the wine in the District.
But as long as we have a national
law permitting the manufacture and
sale of 80 per cent wine," continued
Senator Tydings, "I hope the Senator
from California will not press his cb-
lection to the pending BILL
Senator johnson said he was glad to
hear the statement made by Mr..
Tydings that when a House wine pill
came to the Senate he would undertake
the necessary legislation to carry out
its provisions here
Senator Vandenburg of Michigan
asked whether the District Committee
had considered whether failure of the
pending bill to pass would bring about
an opportunity for the uncontrolled sale
OF beer in Washington.
Tydings Believes in Legality.
Senator Tydings said that the COM
mittee had gone into that question and
that Corporation Counsel William w.
Bride expressed the opinion that the
xldLlOildk DCSI 1dW NOulQ Iudke Tie Sale
of 80 per cent beer legal in Washing
ton if no further legislation were
passed. Other attorneys, Senator Tyd-
ings said, took the other position.
I'VE thought'it wise, in case the cor
poration counsel should be correct in
his opinion, to put through the pend
ing legislation" said Senator Tydings.
THE committee decided to throw
every safeguard possible around the sale
of beer in the District. We believe that
this Is the stricteSt bill for the sale of
beer presented in the United States"
Senator Tydings said the committee
had no further amendments to offer.
Walsh Offers Amendment.
At this point Senator Walsh of
Massachusetts offered an amendment
to make it possible to sell beer in drug
stores and delicatessen shops where
food is served. He said that he saw no
good reason why they should not be
licensed to sell the beer, particularly as
it is held to be notwithstanding.
Senator Tydings said that the COM
mittee had not included drug stores
and delicatessen shops because it feared
that such licensing would bring about
more violation of the law.
THE committee has taken no strong
pc-l.lon In opposition 10 mcluolng orug
stores, however" said Senator Tydings
''We must face the fact, however, that
we are letting down the bars if drug
stores arc included. A hardware store
might get a license to sell food and
then dcmcnd permission to sell beer.
There i no use deceiving ourselves. l
am convinced that beer with an alco-
hclc content Of 80 per cent by weight
would make a child of or 9 drunk.
The committee is anxious to keep beer
away from children. That is one rea-
son why drug stores were not licensed,
for children go to the drug stores con-
stantly."
On viva voce vote, Senator Pittman,
who vas presiding announced that the
Walsh drug store amendment was lost
As the vote was being taken, Senator
Sheppard, Democrat, of Texas, sug-
gested the absence Of a quorum.