Evening star., 1933-11-29
HEARING ON LIQUOR
CONTROL MEASURE
TO Be BROADCAST
Commissioners Invite All to
Give Views at District
Building Dec. 8.
DISCUSSIONS ON AIR
PRACTICALLY WHOLE DAY
Officials to Study Expressions Of
Public-General Licensing Fa-
vored Above Present Draft.

The public hearing before the Dis
trict Commissioners on the proposed
liquor-control measure for the District,
to begin Friday, December 8, will be
broadcast from the board room Of the
District Building, 1t was announced to-
day.
Arrangements made by the city heads
with officials of the Columbia Broad
casting System will result in an eX-
tended radio delineation of the pro-
ceedings from Station WJSV.
With the exception OF several COM
mercial program periods, the discus
sions of the liquor bill will remain on
the air continuously all day December
8 and the next day up until noon, it
was announced.
All Sides to Be Heard.
All interested parties and groups will
be given full opportunity to express
opinions on the proposed bill.
This promise was made today by the
city heads In addition, the Commits
SOners plan to send special invitations
to all individuals and organizations
which have expressed special interest in
the subject.
The hearings will continue until all
interested parties have stated their
taken of the testimony. The Commls-
sioners it was stated today, will post
pone their decision on the measure un-
til after the hearings are completed.
They regard the proposed draft as
an excellent foundation for considera-
ton, but say public discussion may
bring about changes. They have in
timated, however, they favor the gen.
eral license plan as proposed in the
present draft.
Copies cf Star Mailed.
Five hundred copies of yesterdays
Star which carried the full text of the
proposed measure, as drafted by Cor
poration Counsel w. w. Bride and his
principal assistant, Vernon E. West, will
be mailed out by Bride to various Or
carnations.
It is the hope of officials that care
full public study will be made of the
proposed measure prior to the hearings.
Commissioner George E. Allen, VINO
has direct supervision over the work of
the corporation counsels office, empha-
sizes that he regards as one of the
major provisions that designed to pre-
Vent development of a commercial mo-
nopoly in the liquor business here. He
said in re-prohibition days the op-
erations Of liquor monopolies was to a
large degree responsible for develop
ment OF prohibition lObbies. At his
suggestion Bride inserted in the bill
definite provisions designed to prevent
manufacturers from having fnaneial
interest in retail phases of the business.
In reply to complaints that under
the proposed measure liquor could not
be sold here legally until rs days after
enactment Of the measure, as now
Prid co;I bat
a reasonable time be allowed for Off
cials to handle the multitudinous de-
tails Of passing upon and issuing IL
cenSes, and adoption Of necessary reg
ulations.
Search and Seizure Clause.
Bride also spoke in defense of the
clause providing for searches and
seizures at places dealing in liquor in
q provision. he said, Is necessary if the
Government is to have a weapon
against speakeasies. He said also there
Is nothing new or radical In such a
provision. as almost the identical plan
was contained in the District excise
law of March 4, 1913, which controlled
the liquor business here in preprohibi-
tion days.
Bride also explained the provision
UdllIlulS CIlc UliAuls VI O1 lhho Ill eliC
presence of patrons of places licensed
for consumption on the premises. The
theory of this clause is to avoid the
allurement of more drinks for one group
of patrons who might see drinks mixed
for other patrons.
AS the measure now is drawn such
drinks would be mixed in the kitchen of
the restaurants or dining rooms OF IL
Censed ION sale" places. It was indi-
Gated further study would be given to
means OF preventing unethical restau-
rant operators from substituting cheap
liquor for more expensive brands or
dered by patrons who would rot be able
to see what is put in their drinks.
The Commissioners after lengthy
meeting for discussion of the measure
With Bride and West yesterday, asked
that several points be restudied. One
is whether there should be appeal to
the Commissioners from the decisions
OF the Control Board as to granting or
revocation Of licenses. Another Is
whether there should be ban against
sale of beer having an alcoholic content
of more than per cent by volume.
third question is how near to schools,
churches and public institutions beer