Evening star., 1934-01-10
CLOSE VOTE SEEN
ON D. c. LIQUOR BILL
Senators King and Capper
Favor Some Form of Fed
era, Dispensary.
CONTINUED From First Page.)

sell by the glass at tables, but IN orig
pared in a separate room and brought
to the customer. This and several
other last-minute amendments were
advocated by Representative O'Connor,
Democrat, of New York.
On motion of Representative Boileau.
Republican, of Wisconsin, a Limitation
was placed on the mandatory power of
property owners to prevent renewal Of
license in their vicinity II no objec-
ton was raised against the original
granting OF the license. Under the bill
as reported from committee, a license
could not be granted if there were OBJ
jections from the owners of a majority
of the property within 900 feet Of the
applicant.
Boileau contended II the surrounding
property owners failed to object to the
original application, they should not
have the power to prevent renewal of
the license after the licensee had in
vested his money in establishing the
place, provided it was conducted prop
erly during the first year.
Other Changes Accepted.
Another amendment would require
druggists to sell only bottled-in- bond
liquor. on prescription. They could,
however, also sell blended brands, the
same as other off-sale licensees.
Amendments were adopted restoring
to the bill provisions to allow railroad
dining and club cars to obtain licenses
to serve liquor while in the District.
The committee had eliminated special
license fees for railroad cars, which
would have prevented them from serv-
ing liquor.
While putting the bill through these
hberalizing processes the House also
defeated an effort by Representative
Weideman Of Michigan to apply new
restriction designed to compel open
view into public drinking places. Un-
der his amendment originally restau-
rants, hotels and clubs would have had
to serve liquors on the ground floor
only and exposed to public view. He
advocated this as one Of the safeguards
contemplated by the Democratic plat
form. He was first urged to eliminate
hotels and clubs. but even with these
changes, the amendment was defeated.
Changed Second Time.
This group of amendments marked
the second time in two days that the
original bill OF the Commissioners had
been subjected to a liberalizing treat
ment In committee the day before,
the Commissioners were Shorn of their
power to limit the number Of places to
be licensed and prevented from closing
liquor places on holidays, although re-
tanning closing power as to Sundays.
They are. however, given power to close
all establishments in the event Of a
serious public emergency.
The committee also greatly curtailed
the power of the Commissioners to es-
tablish restricted zones around schools,
churches and other public institutions
by writing in proviso that such re-
strictions would not apply to business
places established on or before April
5. 1898. This was the date the 80
beer law became effective.
The committee also had reduced from
so to 80 the number Of rooms which a
hotel would need to get liquor license
and allowed a lower fee of $500 for
hotels of less than 100 rooms. with a
81 900 fee for larger hotels.
Sets I'd Board Of Three.
The bill In its present form sets up
a beverage control board of three, one
to be woman, and gives the Commis-
sioners general power to make detailed
regulations to govern this board in
issuing licenses. provided such regula-
tions are not inconsistent with terms
of the bill The board would be ap-
pointed within Is days after passage Of
the bill
It appeared that even If the Senate
should pass a private license measure