Evening star., 1934-01-29
LIQUOR STOCKING
BEFORE LICENSE
ISSUANCE BANNED
Petition by Wholesalers Is
Rejected by Commissioner >
George E. Allen.
PERIOD OF TWO WEEKS
DECLARED SUFFICIENT
Decision on Control Board Staff
Waits-More Than Score
to Be Selected.

Commissioner George E. Allen today
turned down a petition from whole
sslers that they be permitted to bring
stocks OF liquor into the District in ad-
vance of the issuance of retailers Ii
censes so as to avoid delay in the start
Of a flow Of legal liquor here.
The wholesalers. whose names were
not disclosed, proposed that they be
permitted quantities of liquor in the Dis
trict to be stored in bonded warehouses
IN advance of action of licenses. Allen
conferred with Assistant Corporation
Counsel Vernon E. West and then an
nounced that the plan not only was
illegal but was unnecessary.
He pointed out that wholesalers will
have q period of two weeks in which to
provide stocks Of liquor here before re-
3ailers could obtain licenses. Under the
District liquor law, applications for re-
tail licenses must be given legal adver-
tisement for a period Of two weeks be-
fore the Alcoholic Beverage Control
Board can take action on their appli-
cations.
Completing QUESTIONABLE.
This requirement of two weeks legal
notice does not apply to wholesalers,
and for this reason Allen discounted
fears of wholesalers that they might not
be able to provide licensed retailers with
stocks of liquor as quickly as might be
West today was placing the finishing
touches on the form of the lengthy
uuestionnaires which must be answered
by applicants for licenses in their re-
quests for permits to operate.
This was to be sent at once 10 tne
Government Printing Office and will
be available to applicants Thursday,
when the regulations adopted by the
Commissioners and now being given
legal publication go into effect
These application forms are to be
mailed out to those applicants who re-
Quest them, as the plans stood today.
Commissioner Allen declared today
that decision had not yet been reached
on the persons to be appointed to the
staff of the Liquor Control Board.
More than a score of employees are to
be selected. There will be eight in
spectors, three new assistants to the
corporation counsel, and clerks, stenog-
raphers, typists and board secretary.
Undecided on Appointees.
Commissioner Allen said he had not
personally heard of a protest by men,
hers of the District bar over report
that three out-oftoWn Democrats were
to be given the posts OF the assistants
to the corporation counsel He said:
Decision has not yet been reached
as to those to be appointed, ana 1
could not say today whether the law
yers will be from Washington. the
State of washington or Chillicothe.
George w. Offutt, Mrs. Beverly
Mason and Isaac Cans, members OF tne
Control Board, probably will meet with
Commissioner Allen informally some
time this week to review principles IN
volved in administration OF the liquor
Law. but the board will not be able to
act officially until Congress has
approved requested funds for Its
operation.
It was indicated today the Commits
sioners as yet have not determined
finally whether the Liquor Control
Board will be quartered in the District
Building. The Commissioners desire to
have the board there, but If this is
done it will be necessary to PROVIDE
quarters in an office building for some
District department.
The special bill authorizing an ap-
oropriation of S87793 for admlnlstra-
lion Of the law probably will be re-
ported to the House on Wednesday ana
may be taken up for passage on tne
Bill to Be Prepared.
No opposition to this appropriation
was shown at a hearing today before
the Deficiency Subcommittee OF which
chairman Buchanan of the House Ap-
voropriations Committee is also chair
man. Commissioner Allen, District
Auditor Donovan and Vernon West OF
The corporation counsers office were
the witnesses. Chairman Buchanan
will have a bill prepared CARVING tne
necessary amount of which S75,0oO Is
for administrative expenses for tne
Alcoholic Beverage Control Board ana
S12.7e3 for additional personal services
IN the Office of corporation counsel.
late TODAY notices will go out for a
meeting Of the full Appropriations
Committee to be held on Wednesday
at which both this appropriation ana
The annual supply bill for the Depart,
Ynents Of State. Justice, Commerce ana
labor will be reported and will prob
ably be reported by the full committee
10 the House.
SnanScS I1Ciu wv A<>
In announcing today that the SEN
ate District Committee will meet Wed
nesday to consider the amendments to
the District liquor law suggested py
Federal officials before the President
signed the measure, Chairman King OF
the Senate committee made known
that his personal view at the present
time is that the proposed changes are
unnecessary.
Senator King said that If further
study of the recommendations should
indicate that some of the changes
would clarity the intent Of the original
law he would change his views accord
in9ly. but that his impression at TINS
time is that there is no need for the
amendments. 4.
The changes were suggested py Az
torney General Cummings and Dlrec-
tor Choate of the Federal Alcohol Con-
troll Administration. Senator King
said he is opposed to knocking out the
label section, which requires distillers
TO state on the label the ingredients
used in blended or rectified whisky. 1t
has been suggested by Mr.. Choate that
this be eliminated from the local law
and governed by uniform label regu-
lation for the country as whole.