Evening star., 1934-01-08
House District Committee De-
feats Motion for Dispen-
Sary System.
BILL is MORE LIBERAL
THAN COMMISSIONERS
Authority to Limit Number of Per-
mits Is Stricken Out-Door-to-
Door Solicitation Banned.

The House District Committee today
ordered favorable report on a private
license plan of liquor control for WASH
ington, after defeating motions to SUBJ
stitute the Government dispensary sys-
tenn.
The bill which Chairman Mary T.
evening and call up for action tomor-
the Commissioners bill but is even
more liberal, due to several amend
ments adopted in committee
House Leader Byrns today asked and
received from the House unanimous
consent authority for the bill to be
taken up in the House tomorrow and
to be considered under the general rules
of the House.
The committee is understood to have
left unchanged the clause under which
liquor licenses would be denied in resi-
Dental areas if owners of 81 per cent
of the property within given dis
tance object. The committee, however,
did rewrite another section Of the bill
which would have given the Commits
sioners general authority to limit the
number of licenses of each class to be
issued and to limit the number of
licenses in each class in any locality
or section Of the city.
Limit Clause Taken Out.
The authority to limit the number of
licenses was stricken out and pro-
vision is understood to have been added
which would grant some exemption in
restricted areas for the licensing of
stores which were established before
April, 1888. The exact nature of this
exemption will not be known until the
committee completes its work in execu-
tive session this afternoon.
The committee adopted an amend
ment which will prohibit the licensing
of solicitors for door-to-door solicita-
ton on behalf of liquor establishments
The committee voted down pro-
posed amendment which would have re-
quired an open view into a restaurant
where sale of liquor at tables is to be
permitted.
The committee defeated a motion
which would have prohibited liquor ad-
vertising in newspapers. 1t is under
stood that no action was taken on radio
matter for the Radio Commission to
determine.
Dispensary Issue Not Dead.
Another change by which the COM
mittee liberaliZed the Commissioners
bill was in striking out the powers of
the Commissioners to require the clos
ing of liquor establishments on holidays.
One of the amendments added to the
bill Just before it was reported from
committee would prohibit customers
from buying hard liquor on credit, ex-
cept at clubs or hotels. The amend
ment provides that no sales could be
made on credit in other establishments
serving alcoholic beverages except on
beer.
Although the Government dispensary
method was beaten in the committee,
the issue will be raised again in the
House. Representative Patman Dem
ocrat) of Texas plans to file minority
report advocating the dispensary plan
and Representative Howard Smith
Democrat) of Virginia is expected to
offer his dispensary bill as a substitute
for the private license plan when the
bill comes up in the House, probably to-
morrow.
Representative Patman will file his
minority report because he regards the
saloon bill" The bill would allow
hotels and restaurants to serve liquor
by the glass at table. Representative
Patman is of the opinion the only diff
ference between this process and the
old-time saloon is the requirement thai
persons buying drinks must sit down al
tables instead of standing. While it i:
not known how much support the dis
pensary plan would muster in the House
the question will be put to test be.
fore the House disposes of the local bill
Wide Interest Expected.
AS was pointed out in the hearings
Saturday. the District liquor control bill
gives members of Congress the first
opportunity they have had since repeal
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