Evening star., 1934-03-11
Education Heads and Four
Civic Groups to Offer
Plans Tomorrow.
ACTION ON CONTESTED
APPLICATIONS TO WAIT
Question of Power to Refuse Per-
mits Was Brought Up at
Hearing Yesterday.

Definite proposals that the District
Alcoholic Beverage Control Board lay
down a general policy Of restriction
or absolute ban on liquor licenses in
school areas will be submitted in
writing tomorrow to the board by a
group representing the Board of Ed
ucation and four civic bodies.
This will be done under an agree
ment reached by George w. Offutt,
chairman of the A. B. c. Board. and
spokesmen for the several groups at
the special hearing yesterday on
score or more of liquor sale applica-
tions by establishments near schools.
Mr.. Offutt announced following the
protracted session at which vigorous
arguments were offered on both sides
that action on the contested applica-
tions would be withheld pending re-
ceipt Of the proposed joint solution.
Contend Board Has Authority.
The suggested policy is to be draft
ed by Henry I. Quinn, member of the
School Board; Charles l. Stengle,
president of the D. c. Public School
Association Mrs. Harvey w. Wiley,
president of the D. c. Federation Of
Women's Clubs; Harry N. Stull, rep
resenting the D. C. Congress of Pa
rents and Teachers. and George E.
Sullivan, representing the Federation
Of Citizens Associations.
Tomorrow expected proposal is the
outgrowth of the School Boards con-
tention that the A. B. c. Board has
authority to deny liquor licenses near
schools as well as the power to grant
them, and Quinn's outspoken decla-
ration that the Liquor Board should
carry out that discretion" III dis
charging its responsibility to the
public interest"
While the board Is withholding its
decision, Chairman Offutt indicated
last night that he personally feels the
board might reasonably refuse to
grant "on-sale" licenses to places
close to schools which are patronized
regularly by large numbers of school
children.
Meeting the issue as to the au-
thority of the board to refuse licenses
near schools. Corporation Counsel w
w. Bride said informally yesterday
that in his opinion the A. B. c.
Board was vested with power to deny
such licenses "if the refusal is in the
public interest" Mr.. Bride, who is
the author of the Districts liquor law,
said that the intent Of the law was
that the A. B. c. Board should have
the power to refuse licenses in cases
totally aside from technical require
ments of the law.
Commissioner Melvin c. Hazen, who
listened to portion of the arguments
at the hearing, said afterward he felt
licenses should not be granted to
places patroniZed by large numbers
of school children which were located
close to schools.
Denial Power Questioned.
1t was Stengle who asked delay in
action on the contested cases. He
asked first a delay until the civic
groups could submit in writing a sug-
gested policy. He also asked that in
the event the proposed solution was
not accepted by the A. B. c. Board
that it delay action on the licenses
until an appeal could be made to
the Commissioners or to Congress.
As last step he suggested an amend
ment to the law to eliminate the
clause which exempts from the 400
foot rule places established prior to
January "a.
The question of the A. B. c. Board S
power to deny liquor licenses to appli-
cantS who comply with the letter Of
the law, but against whom protests
have been registered by neighbor-
hood residents or property owners,
was introduced at the outset of the
long hearing by Mr.. Quinn
Speaking as the appointed repre-
sentative of the Board of Education
which, at its meeting Wednesday, for
mally opposed the granting of ANY
class" of liquor license within the
vicinity of schools and colleges" Mr.
Quinn argued that the Liquor Board
had broad discretionary power" by
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