Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1933-11-21
SPEAKERS DEBATE
DISTRICT CONTROL
TOFOLLOW REPEAL
Monday Evening Club Votes
to Make Keen Study of
Liquor Plans.
SALOON is DENOUNCED
BY WET AND DRY SIDES
Andrew Wilson and Elizabeth Har-
ris Declare Stands of Their
Organizations.


meeting In the Willard Hotel last night
the Monday Evening Club instructed its
Executive Committee to make a careful
study of how the liquor control prob
lem should be handled in Washington
after repeal and report at the next
meeting.
The club heard Andrew Wilson, presi-
dent of the District of Columbia Anti
Saloon League, condemn the beverage
use Of alcohol as a poison and describe
prohibition as preferable to any of the
suggested methods of regulated sale,
while Miss Elizabeth Harris of the
women's Organization for National
Prohibition Reform urged reasonable
regulation as essential If bootleggers
and speakeasieS are to be eliminated.
The meeting also was addressed by
Assistant Corporation Counsel Vernon
z. West, who confined himself to an ex-
planation of the legal situation In the
District, UNFOLDING The ruling of Attor-
ney General Cummings that the Vol
steSd isw will continue Ia force il
Washington after repeal and until
Congress takes some further action.
Mr.. West outlined In general terms
some of the suggested methods of con-
troll, but said the corporation counsePs
ONCE is merely putting into legal form
all suggestions that 1t receives, rather
than recommending any plan. so that
1t will be ready to advise the congress
sional committees along whatever line
the lawmakers decide to proceed.
Executive Committee to Report.
At the conclusion of the speeches
Sanford Bates, president of the club,
invited general discussion by the MEM
1.rfe nf
views, Arthur D. Call made the motion
that the Executive Committee be asked
to snalyze the problem and report at
q future meeting 1t was adopted.
Mr. West described three methods of
control that have been suggested,
namely: The old license system; the
Canadian plan of government dispen-
saries, and the Bratt or Swedish sys
tenn of setting up limited dividend
corporation to handle liquor, subject to
Government supervision, as public
utility is regulated.
Mr. Wilson said he regarded all three
plans as bad, and declared that If the
Volstead law is In force in the District
I'VE had better have that than the
Bratt system the Canadian plan or
any other" He agreed with the view
that the Volstead law remains in force
here after repeal Of the eighteenth
amendment, except to the extent that
it was modified by the last session of
Congress in permitting sale of 80 beer.
Mr.. Wilson explained that the District
Anti-SaHon League has taken no action
yet on the impending problem, but
that special committee of the league
has called a meeting for this afternoon.
Women Plan Action.
Miss Harris said the local branch of
he Sc For NJ
Prohibition Reform will not duplicate
the work of other groups by drafting a
control bill, but will advocate certain
principles at the Congressional hear
fngs, including the following: Restric-
tons on the hours of sale, the drawing
of distinction between hard liquor
and wine and beer, with more severe
restrictions on hard liquor than on the
latter.
I'VE do not favor or want the return
of the saloon said Miss Harris, but
we feel taht unless the law is sane
enough to permit proper sale under
adequate supervision, the saloon and
speakeasy will exist"
She said that, assuming the sale of
liquor is to be authorized, the question
will arise whether to permit consump-
ton on the premises. Her organization,
she said, believes in two kinds Of license
the ION sale" and the off sale" and
that the same establishments should not
have both.
Whatever form of control is adopt
ed" she continued there will have to
be some outlet for dispensing the liquor,
and that presents one of the most i'm
portant questions to be settled We
would like to see created non-politicsl
commission. serving without pay, to
regulate licensing
Wilson Deals With Profit.
Mr. Wilson began by asserting the
liquor problem has had to be dealt with
ever since there was any organized
effort in a commercial way to get profit
out of alcohol
I'VE tried to handle it, but we did
not get the kind of support we thought
it should have had"
He then recalled the history of how
the league worked. first for the Jones'
Works high license law in 1913, and
later for the Sheppard law, which
brought complete prohibition locally in
1917.
In characterizing all three of the
, suggested plans of regulated sale as
bad, Mr. Wilson defended national pro-
hibition, and cited statistics to show
I, the benefits it brought. He quoted from
Thomas H. Steele of Statesville. N. c.
q comparison of figures, which pre-
scented a contrast between prohibition
in the United States and government
controlled sale in Canada. When the
eighteenth amendment went into effect
Mr.. Wilson said, only 81 per cent OF
the States were wet or partially wet
After the 81 per cent went dry, the
table Of figures he presented showed
the following: Deaths from alcoholism
decreased AZ per cent; alcoholic insan-
1ty, decreased Sc per cent; genera
crime from drink, decreased 81 pei
cent; drunkenness, decreased 10 pei
cent; auto wreck deaths, per 100000
cars, decreased so per cent, and drink
ing, decreased II per cent.
Statistics for Canada.
He gave the following statistics 70
Canada under legalized control: Death
from alcoholism increased 100 pc
cent, general crime increased SO pc
cent, drunkenness increased SIS pc
cent, drunken drivers increased 83t
per cent, immoral crimes tOntario) in
creased rs per cent, and auto wrecl
deaths increased AZ per cent
Quoting q statesman who once sal
except by the past, Mr.. Wilson observe,
that Judging by past statistics. thi
country win not improve its situation
described this step as going back b
q system "that viii debauch the you'll
of the land.
Il haven't particle Of doubt tina
1rortip,,Ad M paoA < rolunn a.