Evening star., 1934-09-02
TAKOMA ELECTION
PLANS SPEEDED
Board for Wet-Dry Ballot.
Ing viii Pass on Regis
tration List.

-n, The registration list of those entitled
to vote in the Takoma, D. c., wet
dry referendum on September II. will
be put in final shape during the COM
ing week, when the Election Board
will pass on any challenges or ques-
tions raised regarding the lists now
up for inspection in the four polling
places in the community.
At the same time counsel for license
applicants probably will decide within
. day or two whether any proceedings
will be instituted in court, seeking to
prevent the Commissioners from
holding the referendum. Attorney
William E. Leahy, who raised the
question several days ago as to the
legality of the referendum vote. made
no definite announcement yesterday,
but said he was still turning the ques-
ton over in his mind. He indicated
a conclusion one way or the other
would be reached soon.
,a7r- Legal, Prettyman Rules.
Before the Commissioners ordered
the holding of the referendum Cor
b. poration Counsel Prettyman advised
- them that, in his opinion, they have
i7 full power under the liquor control
act to adopt that means of ascertain
b ing the wishes of the residents of any
part of the District as to whether
they favor dry area or the granting
of licenses.
'7l In that memorandum Mr.. Pretty
man cited section 7 and section IA
(a) of the liquor act as having bear
ing on the question. One of these
sections, among other things, author
ICES the Commissioners to make rules
and regulations not inconsistent with
the act which they deem necessary to
carry out the purposes of the act.
- The same section also authorizes them
to forbid the issuance of licenses in
such sections and portions of the
n District as they may deem proper in
-. the public interest.
Cites Commissions Power.
-, The other section referred to
o. authorizes the authorities to consider
e''the wishes of the persons residing
lo,or owning property in the neighbor-
- hood Of the premises for which the
is desired" The corporation
= counsel concluded his memorandum
-utwith the following statement:
'The provisions just quoted seem
ne to me to confer upon the Commits
sioners full power by regulation to
3 hold referendum in any section or
portion of the District of Columbia in
order to ascertain the wishes of the
persons residing or owning property
in that locality"
The Election Board in charge of
= the referendum, consisting of Pretty
man, Capt. Hugh P. OIam and George
w. Offutt, chairman of the Beverage
Control Board made public last night
the form of ballot that has been
prepared for use on September IL.
The ballots will be handed to the
-i7voters as they enter the polling
: places that day.
o5u.
Challenges May Be Filed.
With regard to the completion of
the registration lists, challenges may
-, be filed with Chairman Prettyman
of the Election Board, at the District
Building, up to closing time Tuesday,
September 4. On Friday and Satur-
day, September and 8, the board
will meet at the Takoma School as
a tribunal to pass upon all challenges
and contested points.
Dry force leaders have asked elec-
ton officials to open the polls earlier
September IL than now is planned, so
that all those eligible may have
qchance to vote. The polling places
nov are scheduled to be open from
am. to 8 pm. Two dry spokesmen
had asked that the polls be open
from am. to 8 pm. so that some
voters who must get to work early
may vote before starting their days
business. Decision had not been
reached last night on this question.
''.- In explaining the steps that have
been taken to give residents of the
-' Takoma area an opportunity to in
spect the registration roster as it
now stands, Capt. Dram explained
yesterday that the lists have been
=. arranged alphabetically and placed
in the four polling places. For the
purposes of this referendum, the
Takoma section has been marked off
ar
at each polling place contains the
names of those registered in that
precinct.
Areas Of Precincts.
The areas covered by each Of the
four districts, and the polling places
are as follows:
District No. Bounded on the
. west by Georgia avenue, on the north
, and east by Eastern avenue, and on
the south by Dahlia and Chestnut
, streets. Polling place, Takoma
. School, Piney Branch road and Dah-
: lila street.
: District No. 2-Bounded on the
north by Dahlia and Chestnut streets;
west by Georgia avenue, east by East
ern avenue, and on the south by Ceda
: street, Blair road and Butternut street
to Fifth, Aspen street to Eighth, and
= Butternut street to Georgia avenue
. Polling place, Public Library, at Fifth
: and Cedar streets.
District No. 3-Bounded on the
north by Butternut street from Geor-
,.1gia avenue to Eighth and by Aspen
"~ifrom Eighth to Fifth; on the west by
Georgia avenue; on the east by Fifth
street and on the south by Underwood
street. Polling place, the office of
the United States Cemetery In the
$500 block of Georgia avenue
District No. 4-Bounded on the
north by Butternut from Fifth to Blair
road and by Cedar street from Blair
road to Eastern avenue; on the west
by Fifth street; on the north and
east by Eastern avenue and on the
- south by Underwood street. Polling
place, field house of the swimming
@-ss pool at Fourth and Van Buren streets.
- -s--
@;CITIZENS EVACUATE