Evening star., 1933-12-12
Allen Begins Study of Meas
ure Drawn on Basis of
Public Hearings.
SHORTER AND CONCISE
q CONTROL PLAN SOUGHT
Local Option" Feature Discussed
as Bride and West Attend
Conference.

Many detailed regulations will be
eliminated from the proposed District
liquor control bill before it is sent to
Congress, it was indicated TODAY ss
Commissioner George E. Allen set to
work with legal officials on the redraf.-
ing Of the plan.
Ofhcials have taken the position it
would be better to leave most details OF
regulation for the sale, consumption and
licenses to the decision of adminis-
trative officials rather than to incor-
porate them in a law.
The desire of Commissioner Allen ia
to draft a simple, concise measure.
leaving the question of where LIQUOR
may be scld or consumed to be deter
mined by the sentiment CT the vario.s
communities Of the Capital.
Confers With Bride.
Allen held a long conference t.o1y
with Corporation Counsel w. W. Br..s
and his principal assistant, Vernon e..
west, during which the redraftine OF
the measure was begun.
IL appeared likely the draft cons;d-
ered by the Commissioners at the re-
cent public hearings would be greatlv
shortened, but would incorporate the
major portions dealing with establish
ment OF a general license system and
conferrlng on the Commissioners or a
control board. to be named by tn. II
ofoad powers of regulation and the l. :.
Inc legislative Elan as dawn by &.
ana west at the request OF ClsiIL. /
klng and Norton OF the Senate 2
House District Committees was srel
that this could be easily Gcne. Itc.
Bride has emphasized his draft in real.
lty was In two sections, one dealing with
a general system and the other with
detailed regulations. He drafted thS
latter, he said, so if Congress or t@
Commissioners wished they would
ready.
Plans Local Option"
Commissioner Allen is working o.
details of his plan for local option.
under which residents Of all but the
downtown business area of the District
would determine if liquor was to be sold
IN their communities. 1t is not certain.
however, whether a definite provision
1or this would be incorporated in the
eli or whether it would be left to the
commissioners under their general DOW
ers Of regulation
Just how such local option" would
De worked out has not been announced
put under consideration are suggestions
LOT voting booths. petitions, referenda.
PUBLIC hearings or other means of ascer
tanning the local" sentiment.
Commissioner Allen would not In.
ciuoe the downtown business area ir
such plan. He favors a liberal plan
1or sales and consumption of liquor in
that area.
Public Hearings Favored.
The emphasis placed by Senator King
on puohc hearings rather than on q
voting plan, Commissioner Allen said.
does not run counter to his idea of leav.
Ing the matter fer determination to the
res dents of community.
=. senator King favors keeping liquor
licenses out Of neighborhoods where
sentiment is against granting them, but
does not believe it would be necessary
to provide for the taking of a vote to
determine the sentiment of each
locality.
Senator King said the Commissioners
or the Liquor Control Board should
nave the power to prohibit liquor estab-
iisnments In residential areas, but he
believes the agency vested with the
licensing power could ascertain the pre-
ponderance of sentiment in a commu-
nifty without referendum. The Sena-
TOR said he thought it would prove a
d1fncult problem to arrange for neigh.
oorhood balloting on the question.
Certain Areas to Be Dry.
The Senate District chairman also
announced he is in favor of pro-
hlbitlng the granting of liquor licenses
within reasonable radius of schools
ana churches, a provision which was
advocated by many civic organizations
curing the hearings. The District
licensing law prior to prohibition
banned saloons within 400 feet of these
| institutions.
As to the exact details that should
| oe written into a new law at this
Time, Senator King said he wants to
keep an open mind until the Senate
committee holds its hearings later this
month, after the Commissioners have
submitted their bill.
ELIMINATION from the control bill of
many OF the regulatory features as
contained In the draft prepared by
BRIDE was proposed by Rufus S. Lusk.
wee commander of the Washington
crusaders, in a brief submitted YES
terday afternoon to the Commissioners
Lusk also suggested fees to be g.
charged licensed places and taxes To
De assessed on the sale of alcoholic
beverages.
The Citizens Service Association for
Law and Order has submitted to the
commissioners the action of its board
OF directors, favoring continuance of