Evening star., 1934-01-25
D|SPENSARY BILL
0. XII IN VIRGINIA
House Committee Reports
Measure Leaving Hotels and
Restaurants Out in Cold.
NJ . stac correspondent Of The Star.

By STAFF Correspondent Of The Star.
RICHMOND, Va, January 25.-The
Gispensary liquor bill was reported by
the Finance Committee Of the House Of
Delegates last night by unanimous
vote after an all-day session. While
amended in several respects, the meas
ure is substantially as it was presented
to the Assembly by the Liquor Control
Commission.
Chairman Wilbur c. Hall announced
after the conclusion of committee con-
sideration of the measure that he will
request the House to meet at 10 o'clock
tomorrow morning and that the bill be
set as a special and continuing order
for that time. He expressed the belief
that it can be passed before the week
end adjournment tomorrow afternoon.
An amendment to carry out Gov.
Peery's recommendation that the
chairman of the Liquor Control Board
be given exclusive powers to appoint
employees and agents of the board was
rejected
The committee also rejected an
amendment which would have elirni-
mated the section denying the right of
appeal from decisions Of the board re-
garding the issuance or cancellation Of
licenses for the sale of beer and wines.
Hotel Plea Defeated.
In the absence of an amendment
permitting the board to issue liquor
licenses to hotels and restaurants, it
was decided to vote against such a
provision anyway. There was such a
strong ma jority against the hotels and
restaurants that a recorded vote was
not necessary.
Because of a claim that wholesale
liquor prices are too high to permit
retail sale in the State dispensary
stores at a reasonable price, the COM
mittee adopted an amendment which
would permit the control board to set
up and operate State diStilleries
An amendment was adopted requir-
ing that all moneys collected should be
paid to the State treasurer and expense
warrants be issued by the State.
Delegates J. Fred Birreu of Alex
andria and r. F. McMurran Of Ports
mouth attempted to secure approval Of
an excise tax of S1.50 per barrel and
u cent per bottle on beer. instead Of
S275 and l cent as at present. They
failed, despite BirreI's contention that
brewery was ready to open in Arling-
ton County if the excise tax were re-
duced.
Uniform Prices Desired.
A new section was added to permit
Judges to dismiss pending liquor prose-
cutions and return confiscated auto
mobiles.
Among the amendments adopted
were the following:
Requiring the control board to fix
uniform prices; permitting wholesale
druggists to ship alcohol to retail stores
out of the State; denying licenses for
the bottling of any beer except that
brewed in the State; providing that the
section against public drinking shall
apply only in public buildings and on
public highways and streets. and fixing
q maximum penalty of SO for such an
offense; making violations of the pro-
visions of the act by members, officers,
agents or employees of the control board
a felony instead Of nisdemeanor, and
changing the time when the bill shall
become effective under an emergency
clause from passage to Is days after
passage.
At the request of Northern Virginia
beet distributors Delegate Birrell Of
fered an amendment requiring Virginia
distributors licenses for out-of-town
firms distributing in Virginia, but the
committee refused to consider this.
Birrell said the Washington distributors
we're driving the Alexandria distributors
out of business.