Evening star., 1933-03-19

tied in this paper and also the local news
published hsrein: AL richts OF % pHnaeaSon q
Local Beer Regulation.
As Congress has apparently aban-
doned earlier plans for an immediate
recess, the situation regarding its con-
sideration Of . local beer bill, to be
enacted after the National beer bill is
out Of the way, has been materially
altered. There is plenty Of time now
for both houses Of Congress to give the
important matter of controlling the To-
cal sale Of beer and Of preventing the
return Of the saloon the careful con-
sideration it deserves.
The local beer bills introduced in
House and Senate are identical. In the
House Mr.. Palmisano has presented q
bill similar to the Tydings bill, intro
d,tsed in the Senate during the last
senion, but which has not been taken
UP by the Senate District Committee.
The House and Senate bills should be
examined carefully to assure full pro-
lection to the local community against
abuses of the right to sell the soon-to-
be-legalized beer.
The bills permit manufacture Of beer
in the District and its sale to licensees;
forbid brewers to sell to others than
licensees, to have any direct or indi-
rect financial interest in the business
of licensees, and require brewers to
make monthly statements Of the
amount Of beer sold. Brewers outside
of the District cannot sell to local
licensees without having first obtained
from the Commissioners . permit to
do 50.
But the bills provide no local Ncens-
ing Of local breweries. All brewers
must be licensed by the Federal Gov
eminent, the license fee being q
thousand dollars. But New York and
other States are planning to place an
additional license tax on breweries
which will be collected by the States.
This may be done to assure adequate
supervision over breweries by the local
authorities. In the District the Com
missioners should certainly be given
specific authority to inspect breweries,
as they inspect dairies and restaurants,
to maintain sanitary standards, and
license fees should be paid to bear the
cost Of such inspection. The Federal
Governments inspection and super
vision will be chiefly for the purpose
of enforcing regulations regarding al
coholic content.
Consideration should also be given
to the correct fee for "On sale" and
"On sale" licenses. The bills propose
500 and $25, respectively. New York
proposes an "On sale" license fee of
$3.50 and an "Of sale" fee Of 500.
In Baltimore the proposed "On sale"
fee will probably range between $3.50
and $500. It may be unnecessary and
unduly burdensome to resort to high
license" in controlling the sale Of beer.
But the fee should be such that the
licensee will be required to make more
than nominal financial investment in
his license, and will therefore be all the
more careful not to place 1t in jeopardy
by noncompliance or loose compliance
with regulations.
The bills give the Commissioners the
right to limit the total number Of "On
sale" licenses and Judge as to the ZAP
propriateness Of the location where
such license business is to be con-
Quoted" This authority, coupled with
the zoning regulations, may be SUM-
cient to protect residential and other
areas from Objectionable blishments.
But it might be advisable in advance
to determine what policy will be pur-
sued as to the location of beer selling
establishments adjacent to military
reservations and near schools or
churches.
And as the adequate regulation of
beer selling in the District is to depend
upon the enforcement of the Commis-
sioners' regulations as well as of the
act itself, the penalty for violation Of
the Commissioners regulations should
be at least as strict as the penalty for
violation Of the act. The bills provide
for what may be suficient penalties for
violating the terms of the act. But the
only penalty provided in the case of
violating the Commissioners regula-
tions is loss Of license for one year.
There is no good reason for this dis
elimination. II the Commissioners
regulations are to mean anything. there
SHOULD be adequate maximum penalties
provided for the punishment of those
who violate them, and they should be
as high as the penalties for violating
provisions of the act