The Washington times., 1933-12-26
LOCAL OPTION
CLAUSE ADDED
To MEASURE
On and Off Sale Licenses Pro-
posed; DispenSaries Out
Under Final Draft

Final action on the District
liquor bill was taken today by
the District Commissioners and
the draft probably will go to
Congressional leaders late today
or tomorrow.
A local option" clause was in
serted in the bill at the last
moment. 1t provides that 81 per
cent of residents within a centain
zone where sales are to be per.
mitted, may block an application
by petitioning the District Com
missioners.
The board provided for in the
bill is to be known as the Alco-
holic Beverage Control Board,
must have at least one woman as
a member and be limited to citi-
zens who have lived in the dis
trict for at least three years.
II Kinds of Licenses
Eleven kinds of licenses are tab
bulated, two for manufacturers,
two for wholesalers and seven for
retailers, divided into ION" and
''off" sales, dining cars, clubs and
for medicinal purposes. No person
manufacturing or distilling liquor
will be allowed to have any in.
terest in any retail establishment,
and the providing of equipment,
fixtures. ETC., is prohibited.
Punishment for violation of any
provisions made by the board will
be $1,000 maximum fine and not
more than one year in prison.
The bill will be transmitted to
Senator William H. King, chair
man of the Senate District Com
and Representative Mary T. Nor
ton, chairman of the House
District Committee.
King Plans Hearing
Senator King plans to hold
hearings on the bill, but Mrs.
Norton, under present plans, will
have it taken Up by her group
in executive session. She already
has sent to the members of the
committee copies of the first
draft of a local liquor bill. pre-.
pared some weeks ago by Cor
poration Counsel william w.
Bride.
The bill in it's present form was
prepared by Bride and his assist
ant, Vernon E. West, working with
Commissioner George E. Allen.
The original Bride draft, plus data
gathered at public hearings held
by the Commissioners, was used
in writing the bill.
One change in the present draft
which the Commissioners are eX-
pected to make today is the Strik-
ing out Of provision for license
fees. These fees, and the local
tax rates, are left blank in the
bill now, pending the fixing of a
Federal liquor tax.
Allen feels, however. that the
license fees should be a matter Of
regulation rather than of legisla.
tion. If. he points out, the fees
are fixed in the bill and enacted
into law by Congress, it would re-
quire another act Of Congress to
charge them if they should prove
excessive or insufficient.
Several persons have been re-
ported as seeking a place on the
board, but so far the Commits
sionerS say no one actually is un-
der consideration. Among those
mentioned for berth on the
board is Rufus S. Lusk, executive
vice chairman of the Crusaders,
repeal organization.
Seven Members Here
Senator King said today that
if the proposed bill comes to him
today or tomorrow he will take
an immediate survey to determine
if majority of the committee
will be available this week to sit
at the hearing. Until a majority
is available, he said, hearings
will not start.
A checkup today showed that
seven of the 15-man committee
are now in the Capital. Four,
according to their offices, will not
be here until the first Of the year,
while the plans of four others are
not definitely known.
With seven members here, it is
only necessary that one more be
present in order that the hearings
can begin.