Evening star., 1934-01-27
Aim Is to Avoid Confusion
of Last April in Beer
License Issuance.
LEGAL SALE TO START
ON FEBRUARY IS OR is
Quick Action by Congress Needed
in Appropriating Funds for
Control Board Operation.

Plans for issuance OF licenses under
the District liquor law were being
mapped out today by Commissioner
George E. Allen. who will have direct
supervision over the Alcoholic Beverage
Control Board, appointed yesterday by
the Commissioners.
Commissioner Allen said he would
recommend to the Board Of Commits
sioners plan under which license
applications would be handled by mail,
rather than by personal appearance Of
applicants before the control board.
Under such a system it would be first
come, first served as to issuance Of
licenses
District officials have in mind the
hectic confusion that reigned for days
at the District Building last April after
the District beer law went into effect,
when hundreds of applicants jammed
offices and corridors in frantic efforts
to obtain licenses ahead of other appli-
cantS.
Plan Not Submitted Yet.
Under the plan of applying for IL
censes through the mails. an applicant
would obtain an Official application
form, fill it out and mail it to the
control board. They would be listed
according TO dates Of receipt and &C
ton would be taken by the control
board in the chronological order of re-
ceipt of application.
Commissioner Allen said the plan as
yet had not been submitted to the Com
mlSSloners, but he believed his colleagues
on the board would approve it.
Decision will be withheld until Mon
day since Commissioner Hazen. suffer-
Ing from a severe attack of cold, was
still confined to his home today.
Legal notices of the regulations
adopted by the Commissioners yester-
dav were published for the first time
today. The law required that the notice
be published five days before enforce
ment. This would be next Thursday.
Commissioner Allen has announced that
license applications will not be dis
trlouted to applicants until after the
regulations are in force.
Appropriations Studied.
Since legal notices must be published
concerning each application for license
over period OF two weeks before the
control board can take action, it ap-
peared today that licensed sale of legal
nquor could not start until February
Is or l6 However. this is contingent
upon quick action by Congress in ap-
propriating necessary funds for OPERA
tlon OF the control board Requested
appropriations now are before commit
ices OF Congress and early action has
been promised.
Inc Liquor Control Board. consisting
UI george w. Ofutt. chairman; Mrs.
wAllam Beverly Mason and Isaac Cans.
not Scheduled to begin work until
after Congress has made the necessary
appropriation.
corporation Counsel w. w. Bride re-
Vealeo late yesterday that he had been
informed that an unnamed law firm
had told prospective license applicants
tnat they could hasten action on
hcenses because Mr. Bride was "asso-
clated with their work. Bride was
enraged over the matter. denied en-
phatlcally that he was associated with
any hrm and threatened to institute
CRIMINAL prosecution against any one
making such promises" if he could
ascertain their identity
Pledges Strict Enforcing.
Commissioner Allen said he had not
ueell informed OF the purported scheme,
but declared emphatically that if any
applicant attempted to use pressure. in
any form. to hasten action on applica-
tions. he would see to it personally that
the applications involved were placed
at the bottom of the list.
Chairman Offutt of the liquor board
stated he was determined to use all his
influence to obtain strict enforcement
OF the liquor law and regulations
adopted under its authority. He said
the law is liberal and I am going to
make sure that it is enforced to the
letter"