Evening star., 1933-12-24

three years and during that time had
claimed residence nowhere else.
The Commissioners are considering q
salary of $4,000 a year for each board
member, but the salary is not stated in
the present draft. The Commissioners
would be authorized to employ a staff
for the board including three assistants
to the District corporation counsel.
Under the new plan, prosecutions for
violations of the law and the CommiS-
sioners' regulations under the law
would be placed in the hands of the
corporation counSels Office, except in
cases of felonieS which would have to
be handled by the United States at
tOrney. This Is part OF the Commits
sioners' plan to centralize authority
over the liquor business
A maximum fine of $1,000, or i'm
priSonment Of not more than one year
in Jail, or both, could be given for vio-
lation of the provisions of the act.
A feature of the bills new draft is
a requirement that all applicants for
license must file with the Commits
sioners a bond of $1,000 given by an
established surety company to- be ap-
proved by the Commissioners, to guar
antee payment Of taxes and possible
fines.
Liquor Within Weeks.
The Commissioners are considering
the issuance of temporary licenses to
avoid a possible long delay in passing
on license applications. They have
stated they believe legal liquor could
be sold within two or three weeks after
passage of the law.
The control board would be vested
with authority over the granting or
revocation Of licenses, but in the case
Of revocations there could be an appeal
to the District Commissioners. The
decision OF the Commissioners in such
an appeal would be final as to ques-
tionS OF fact.
The Commissioners would be author
lied to make all rules and regulations
consistent with the act governing all
phases OF the liquor business "for the
protection Of the public health, comfort,
safety and morals"
In addition to this general state
ment, they would be given specific poW-
ers Of regulation, including the follow
ing:
To forbid the issuance Of licenses for
the manufacture, sale or storage of
alcoholic beverages in such localities Of
the District as they deemed proper in
public interest.
To limit the number Of licenses in
each class to be issued in the District
or in any section of the District as they
deemed in public interest.
To forbid the issuance of licenses for
businesses conducted on such ayemises
as they, in public interest, may deem
inappropriate.
Schools Protected.
To forbid the issuance of any class
OF licenses for business conducted near
or around schools, colleges, universities
churches or public institutions, and,
To prescribe the hours during which
beverages may be sold and to forbfc
the sale on Sundays or any holiday.
or;C me new measure; as well as the
place for repeal of the Volstead law
and supplementary legislation as ap-
piled to the District. 1t provides also
for repeal of the two remaining Sec
tions of the Sheppard law, but these
are restated in the new legislation
They prohibit drinking in public places
other than licensed establishments, and
the operating of locomotives, street
cars, automobiles, watercraft or horse.
drawn vehicles while under the influ-
ence of liquor.
A fine of not more than $500 OF
Imprisonment Of not more than three
months, or both may be assessed fol
violation Of the latter provision. Fol
drinking In public the fine would be
not more than 500 or Imprisonment
OF not more than 80 days, or both.
The District beer law would be re-
pealed a year after enactment of the
liquor law since it would cover the
operations of the beer business.
The control board would be given
general powers to summon any person
before 1t to give testimony on oath OF
affirmation, or to produce all books and
other documents needed in an inveStiga-
tion CT matters affecting operation OF
the law. Summons may be served by
the Police Department and If any per-
son refuses to obey q subpoena, the
board may certify the matter to a Jus
tice of the District Supreme Court who
would be empowered to compel obe-
dience to the same extent as witnesses
may be compelled to obey subpoenal
Of that court.
Divorces Retail Interest.
An important feature of the bill Is
that no distiller or wholesaler would be
pcIHlltLcO W nave ally llIldIlCldl lIlJeTeSI
in the business or the place of business
Of retailer and no member or employe
Of the control board could have any di-
rect or indirect interest in the business
to be regulated
The bill prescribes that hard liquor
may not be sold to any person under
the age Of 81 years, and that beer can
not be sold to any person under the age
Of Is, either for his own use, or the use
of any other person. Also 1t is provided
that beverages may not be sold to any
intoxicated person nor to any person OF
"notoriously Incorporate habits" or to
any person who appears to be intoxi-
Gated. Ignorance of the age of any such
minor would not be a defense of a sale
but it is provided that no licensee shall
be liable to any person for damages
claimed to arise from refusal to sell al
coholic beverages.
If false statement is knowingly
made in an application for license,
or in any accompanying statement
under oath, the person making the
statement would be deemed guilty of
perjury.
The bill provides that an applicant
shall be a citizen of the United States,
not less than 81 years of age, that he
shall not have been convicted of q
felony, and that he shall be "of good
moral character, and generally fit for
the trust to be in him reposed."
A tavern" under the terms Of this
J,fll y,on,ld tsn ar1,;f hIe Sy,a "a ~7Y, q <,,if