Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1933-09-15
Senator Will Get Views of
Residents Prior to Con-
vening of Congress.
STATUS OF CITY CONTROL
UNDER REPEAL IN DOUBT
Bride Holds Volstead Law Will
Still Be in Effect-Policy De-
ponds on Attorney General.
BY G. GOULD LINCOLN.

A new liquor law for the District of
Columbia must be enacted promptly
10y Congress when that body meets in
January, Chairman King of the Senate
District Committee said today.
The Senator predicated his state
ment on the belief and expectation
that the eighteenth amendment would
be repealed early in December.
II propose" said Senator King, ito
hold extensive hearings on the subject
of liquor law for the District several
weeks before Congress convenes. will
do everything in my power to find cut
what the people of Washington them
selves desire and to frame a new law
in accordance with their wishes. All
interested persons will be given an OPP
portunity to be heard by the commit
tee"
To Oppose Referendum.
Senator King said that he would OPP
pose any move, however, for referen-
dunn in the District on the liquor ques-
ton. He added that he believed there
was not the slightest chance that Con-
gress would permit such referendum.
The Constitution gives Congress sole
Jurisdiction legislatively over the Dis
trict of Columbia.
Would you bring in bill making
the District bone dry. If 1t were dis
closed at the hearings that the ma
jority of the people here preferred pro-
hlbition?" Senator King was asked.
His reply was: Il do not believe that
the people in Washington want bone
dry prohibition law Tor this CITY,
Senator King expressed the view that
the new liquor law. as demanded by the
people of Washington, must prohibit the
old saloon and would make reasonable
provisions for the sale of liquor under
licenses to be issued by the District
authorities.
The Utah Senator took the view that
the repeal Of the eighteenth amend
ment would leave the District Of Column
bia without any liquor law whatever
unless the legal officers and the courts
should declare that the Volstead act
was still effective in the National Capt.
tai, despite the fact that 1t was auto
matically repealed in the States by the
adoption of the twenty-first amendment.
Sheppard Law Repealed.
This opinion is based on the fact that
the Sheppard bone dry law for the Dis
trict was specifically repealed by the
District 80 beer bill, passed at the spe-
cial session of Congress last Spring, ex-
cept sections IL and 20. and that the
Sheppard law. when it was passed, re-
pealed, in turn, the old liquor license
law under which control Of the liquor
traffic in Washington had been main
tanned before that. Section IL Of the
Sheppard act prohibits drinking in pub
lie places and fixes penalty therefor.
and section 20 imposes penalties for
driving automobiles, street cars. ETC.,
while under the influence Of liquor.
Unless Congress should meet in spe-
cial session before the repeal of the
eighteenth amendment-and such
special session seems entirely unlikely
today-no opportunity will be given for
the passage of a new liquor law for
the District until after the repeal OF
the eighteenth Neutrality-suspicious.!
prohibition.
What is to be the situation in the
District of Columbia in the interval
between the date of repeal-probably
December 6-and the date on which a
new law governing the liquor traffic
may be passed by Congress and ap-
proved by the President?
1t is unthinkable and entirely i'm
probable that Washington would be
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