Evening star., 1934-03-15
Board Adopts Policy Asked
by Institution Deprived
of Old Law.
RESTRICTIONS RULED
FOR SOLDIERS HOME
Special Hearings to Be Given Sat-
urday Applications for Licenses
Near Schools.

A ban against issuing of beverage
licenses of any kind to any place
locating within one-half mile of ST.
Elizabeths Hospital has been adopted
as a policy of the Alcoholic Bever-
age Control Board, it was announced
today by George w. Offutt, chair
man.
The policy was established at the
request of officials of the inStitu-
ton who recently emphasized in a
letter to the Commissioners that en-
actment of the District liquor law
had abolished former legal restric-
tionS against sale of liquor near the
hospital.
Offutt said today also the Alcoholic
Beverage Control Board had adopted
q policy against granting liquor IL
censes with a tWo-block radius of
the grounds of the United States
Soldiers Home.
This policy, however will not for
bid the sale of wine or beer within
such a radius at either on-sale or
off-sale licensed places. This action
was taken at the request of Maj. Gen.
H. P. Mccain, U. S. A., retired, gov
ernor of the home.
Walter Reed Situation.
The A. B. C. Board previously had
decided not to grant liquor licenses
to places near Walter Reed Hospital.
In that case licenses are to be issued
only for the sale of bottled wine and
beer near the institution. The A. B. c.
Board will also give close attention to
any protest made by Walter Reed
authorities against granting of licenses
IN the general vicinity of the hospital,
not merely those within a two-block
radius, Offutt said
Saturday morning, the first two of
the score of applications for places close
to public schools will be subject to
special hearings scheduled by the
board since it adopted a general pol
icy against liquor licenses to places
near schools.
At that time arguments will be
made on the application for a re-
tail license for the Market Pharmacy
1430 Seventh street, which is located
near the Polk School, and the appli-
cation of Harry S. Gildenhorn for a
license for an establishment at 4400
Georgia avenue, near the Macfarland
Junior High School,
Other contested applications for
places near schools will be scheduled
for hearings next week or later.
Members of the A. B. c. Board will
consult this afternoon with Andrew
M. Housley on suggested amendments
to the District liquor law designed tC
set up a more definite means of de-
termining whether liquor dealers are
paying the District liquor sales taxes
Use of Tax Stamps.
One suggestion is to require the use
Of tax stamps on all bottles. The
board also is studying a suggestion
that local liquor retailers be required
to purchase their stocks from District
wholesalers. this being designed also
to set up a check on the payment OF
sales taxes. Such a system is used In
Maryland.
Chairman Offutt said today he had
not made up his mind what to recon-
mend but he was aware of the great
difficulties of enforcing payment OF
sales taxes under the present system,
under which some dealers here buy
their stock from out of town whole
salers.
The law requires that under such
cases the local retailers furnish a
memorandum of such purchases
Offutt said such a rule could be
evaded too easily.
Officials of the board also COM
mented on the fact that a wholesale
firm located out of the District could
sell to local retailers through a single
solicitor. paying only license fee of
500, where, as local wholesalers have
to pay an annual license fee of 81 500
to deal in liquor.
Offutt said it appeared it would
be more fair to require retailers to buy
from District wholesalers because of
this difference in the license situation
Amendment Effects.
Officials of the board also believe
that both independent retailers and
wholesalers here will have hard
shedding" if the law is amended to
permit all units of each of the chain
store organizations to obtain liquor
licenses. At the present time but one
store of the chain concerns can OBJ
tain license.
The board said it realized how
ever, that licensing of the many stores
of the several chain concerns should
serve to drive down liquor prices and
thereby stif1e bootleg operations.
The board yesterday rejected an
application for a liquor license for
the retail store of H. Albert Buehler,
1917 Georgia avenue. The place is
located near Walter Reed Hospital
and the application was opposed by
Brig. Gen. Albert E. TRULY, COM
mandant of Walter Reed Hospital.