Evening star., 1933-12-10
VOTE BY SECTIONS
ON LIQUOR FAVORED.
District License Measure Ex.
peCted to Provide ''LocaI
Option Plan.
Continued From First Page.)

licensing of the sale of liquor in their
sections, their wishes should be binding
on the Commissioners and the licensing
board. We are not prepared at this
time to set forth details of the ma
chlnery for this purpose. Such a plan
would, 1t seems to us, give complete
government to each neighborhood
regarding liquor regulation. No person
could reasonably ask more than that"
There was every indication last night
that the bill as finally drafted at the
District Building will be built around
the private license system, and that it
will retain the provision in the tentative
draft as submitted by Corporation
Counsel William w. Bride and his prin-
clpal assistant, Vernon E. West, for the
SAFE OF liquor by the glass at tables in
restaurants, clubs and hotels.
Prohibition Is Urged.
Among the principal witnesses at the
maj nearing yesterday were Andrew
wilson. president of the District Anti
saloon League; Wilbur La Roe, ir.. of
tne CIVIC Affairs Committee of the
WaSnmgton Federation of Churches,
ana Ru1uS S. Lusk, executive vice
commander OF the Washington Cru
saoers, a repeal organization.
MI. wilson presented the platform
o1 special committee of the league,
urging continued prohibition of the
liquor business in Washington. He ad-
Vocated strict regulation in anv con-
trol Dill that may be considered. Mr..
La Roe told the Commissioners the
tentative draft of the proposed control
Dill Is not restrictive enough to meet
al the safeguards his committee be-
Heves should be provided for if LIQUOR
legislation is to be enacted.
Mr.. Lusk said the Crusaders favor
a control bill that would be both lib
eral and practical in operation. He
alSo advocated centralized authority in
the Liquor Control Board, and argued
there were too many details in the
tentative bill that should be left to
regulation instead of being written into
the law. There were several other wit
nesses at the closing hearing.
number of organizations that took
part IN the public hearings protested
against permitting any liquor to be
sold by the drink, and most of these
groups also took the view that the sale
IN bottles, not to be consumed on the
premises, should be handled entirely
by municipal stores, to be set up under
the legislation.
Private Licenses Recommended.
Other organizations testified in favor
OF leaving distribution to private Ii
censees rather than by Government dis
pensarles. Questions asked by members
OF the board during the hearings indi-
Gated they were wondering how the
municipal store method of ''off sale"
distribution would be financed, if it
should be decided upon. All signs at the
District Building yesterday, however,
pointed toward the private license
method as the one that would be rec
commended
1t also appeared likely last night that |
the bill as finally drafted will authorize |
the granting of licenses within a much |
shorter time after passage of bill than |
would occur under the tentative draft, |
which allowed Is days from passage of |
the act for the appointment of the |
liquor Control Board and provided that |
licenses be not issued until so days |
after the board is named Under the |
tentative draft it would be about April |
l before licenses were issued. assuming |
congress would pass the bill by the |
middle OF January There were relia- |
Die reports last night that in redrafting
the bill the 60-day period following ap- |
pomtment Of the board will be cut |
down.
One provision that appeared certain
W So A4to the Ilfldl QraIt would pre-
ciude wholesaler from having a re- |
tan incense and retailer from having |
a wholesale license.
License and Tax Features.
In the tentative draft no definite |
license fees for the various types of !
licenses were recommended but it is |
believed the Commissioners will under |
take to decide on license and tax fea- |
lures rather than send the bill to Con- |
gresS with these questions left open.
Another important question to be |
considered by the city heads this week
when they sit down to decide on their |
recommendations. is what restriction
Will be made against the granting of |
licenses near schools and churches. |
There was widespread sentiment from
many organizations at the hearings
Tor such a restriction Most groups
suggested that no license be granted |
within 400 feet of church or school.
while one or two witnesses suggested !,
an even greater distance.
The Commissioners, in consultation
with Bride and West, may complete
the flnal draft of a measure in time to I
forward it to Representative Norton
and Senator King chairman. re- |
spectively, of the House and Senate |
District Committees, by the end of |
this week. Mrs. Norton plans to have
the members of her committee study |
the measure individually between now
and the convening of Congress, and
has already conferred with Speaker
Rainey with view to having a District
SPECIAL NOTICES.