Evening star., 1933-12-10

liquor control bill taken up In the
House on the second day of the session,
which would be January 4.
King to Hold Hearings.
Senator King. however, plans to have
his committee hold new hearings On
the question and he will hold these
hearings before the session opens If a
majority of the committee members
are in Washington. The Senate hear
ings will give citizens and organized
groups an opportunity to present their
views on whatever new features are
brought forth by the Commissioners as
a result of the District Building hear
ings Just concluded.
The proposal advanced last night, for
instance, by Commissioners HaZen ana
Allen, for the adoption of some form
of neighborhood local option, suggests
numerous questions as to the detailed
method of ascertaining neighborhood
sentiment for or against the granting
of licenses in locality. There would
be such details to consider as the lay
ing out of the boundaries of particular
areas. And if it should be decided to
recommend legislation for a vote Of
the residents of these areas, there would
be further details to work out for the
taking of such a vote. If 1t should
be decided to obtain the sentiment by
preparation of petitions, that again
would require different details.
Lusk Final Witness.
Lusk. of the Washington Crusaders,
as the final witness, urged that reSpon-
sibility be centralized in the Liquor
Control Board, instead of being divided
between the board and the District
Commissioners. He also contended that
as many detailed regulations as possible
be left to the control authority, instead
of being written into the law. He took
the position that experience alone would
show how the regulations would work
and that if they were written into the
law they could only be changed by a
new act of Congress, whereas the Con-
troll Board could change them as condi-
tions require.
Contending that the success of what
ever system is adopted will depend 80
per cent on the board named to super
wise it, Lusk urged that members of the
Liquor Control Board be adequately
paid, and appointed for six-year terms.
As to division of authority, he said
the tentative draft gives the Liquor
Control Board power to issue and re-
woke licenses, but leaves with the Com
missioners the authority to make neces-
sary regulations.
Control Board Action Final.
In no State whose control law I
have studied, is there this division Of
authority" Lusk declared. THE action
of the Control Board is final in granting
licenses and making regulations in such
States as New York. Delaware, Colorado
and California. The same condition
also exists in Sweden. Denmark and
the various provinces of Canada"
Commissioner Allen asked Lusk to
prepare brief and submit it this week,
setting forth provisions of the tenta-
tive license bill which he believes could
be eliminated from the law and left
to regulation.
In arguing against divided authority,
LuSk said if the Commissioners want
to retain authority over the subject,
they should also have the responsibility
of granting and revoking the licenses
rather than to separate the authority
Commissioner Allen said it should be
remembered, in this connection. that
the enforcement agencies of the
municipal government are under the
Commissioners.
Oppose Bratt Method.
Mr. Wilson said special committee
of the league had taken a stand for pro-
hibiting the liquor traffic in the Dis
trict that it favors law similar to the
Sheppard act which made Washington
dry in 1917, opposes the so-called Bratt
method and the Canadian system. The
committee, he said, deemed it unwise
for the league to sponsor any bill for
control of the liquor traffic which falls
short of prohibition and that the COM
mittee believes the league opposes such
features of proposed legislation (which
may have the tendency to increase the
consumption of alcoholic liquor for bev-
erage purposes.
Wilson read to the Commissioners a
set of statistics tending to show the
beneficial results of prohibition in the
United States after the eighteenth
amendment went into effect as COM
pared with the effects of legalized liquor
control in Canada These statistics
were published recently when Mr.. Will
son addressed meeting of the Monday
Evening Club.
Alcohol Declared Poison.
The Anti-Saloon League head as
serted that alcoholic liquor is a proto-
plasmic poison and that while alcohol
has its uses, the taking of its as a bev-
erage in the human system is not one
of its uses.
He declared it is a mistake for peo-
pie to assume that speakeasies came
during the prohibition period.
1T is the contention of our organi-
zation," he said. that at least 1000
speakeasies were in the District of Co.
lumbia when the Anti-Saloon League
was formed in 1893 and at that time we
had 1,100 licensed places, wholesale and
retail"
He supported the recommendation
for establishment of the dry zones
in the District which existed by various
acts of Congress prior to local pro-
hibition.
Bill Held Inadequate.
Mr.. La Roe said that while many of
the provisions of the bill indicate
real desire on the part of its authors
to protect the public interests. his
committee felt it was inadequate. He
among other THINGS that it
does not adequately divorce the liquor
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