Evening star., 1933-01-20
Author Of Capital Dry Law
Holds 80 Percentage
Is intoxicating.
SENATE MEASURE SAME
AS PROPOSAL IN HOUSE
Tydings Introduces Plan Agreeing
on All Major Points-Texas
Foe Attacks Provisions.

District beer bills pending in b6th
the House and Senate District Commit
tees will be opposed by Senator Shep-
pard, Democrat, of Texas. author of the
present law which made Washington
dry in 1917. several years before ma
tional prohibition.
Senator Sheppard said today he has
rot had an opportunity to study the
details Of the local beer measures, but
that he Is opposed to them, Just as he
is to the national beer bill. He said
he regards the percentage of 80 desig-
mated in the District bills as intoxi-
eating.
Presented by Tydings.
The bill, introduced in the Senate by
Senator Tydings, is the same in all
its essential provisions as the revised
measure filed with the House District
Committee few days ago by Rufus S.
Lusk OF the District branch Of the
Crusaders
AS in the revised plan submitted to
the House committee. the Tydings bill
describes the term beer" as including
beer. lager beer, ale, porter and other
similar brewed or fermented beverages
containing Il of ! per cent or more
alcohol by volume, but not more than
80 of alcohol by weight 1t provides
for ''on sale" licenses. costing Sl00 a
year, to be issued only to bona -fide res
taurants, clubs and hotels, the bev-
erages to be consumed at tables or
served in guests rooms.
Few Changes Made.
1t also provides for "off sale" Ii
censes, costing S25 a year, which would
permit the sale Of beer in original
packages for consumption off the prem
ises only. The onlv provision found
in the Tydings bill not in the revised
measure suggested in the House is
clause authorizing the Commissioners,
at their discretion to issue "off sale"
licenses to holders Of ION sale" Ii
censes There are one or two other
changes in phraseology in the Tydings
text that do not relate to any essential
provisions.
The bill fixes the tax at $l20 per
barrel. The Commissioners would be
required to ascertain the moral char
acter and financial responsibility for Ii
censes. All brewers, wholesalers or dis
tributors would have to furnish the
assessor on or before the tenth day
Of each month a statement showing the
quantity Of beer sold during the pre-
ceding month.
Penalties Provided.
Any persons violating the provisions
of the law would be punishable by fine
not to exceed 81 900 or prison sentence
for one year, or both in the discretion
Of the court, and if the convicted per-
son be hcensee, his license would be
revoked for one year. The Commits
sioners also would have authority to
revoke license for one year for violation
of regulations made by them under
this law.
The original beer bill introduced in
the House by Representative Black of
New York placed the beer tax at $3.50
barrel. 1t also included "eating
places" as well as restaurants, clubs
and hotels, as places which could
obtain ''on sale" licenses. The Black
bill also provided that Ion sale"
licensed premises could serve beer only
at tables and between the hours Of
noon and l am. 1t also provided that
no beer could be sold to persons under
18 years of age.
The Senate bill provides for the re-
peal of portions Of the act to prohibit
the manufacture and sale of liquor in
the District of Columbia, the date of
which Is given as March 3, 1913. It is
believed, however, that this is intended
to refer to the Sheppard act, which
became q law March 8, 1917. The bill
retains sections of the Sheppard act
prohibiting drinking in public, 1ntoxi-
cation and other sections relating to
the maintaining Of nuiSances.