Evening star., 1934-09-12
Allen to Seek Law for Ref
erenda After Court HaIts
BaIIoting.
LICENSE APPLICATIONS
AGAIN BEFORE BOARD
Let's Decision Holds D. C. Gov
ernment Should Not Be Bound
by Will of People in Area.

The District Commissioners decided
today to accept without appeal the
ruling of Justice F. Dickinson Let's
of the District Supreme Court which
prevented the holding of the proposed
wet-dry referendum in Takoma Park,
D. c., today.
At the same time Commissioner
George E. Allen declared his inten-
ton of working at the next session
of Congress for law that will enable
the people of the District to conduct
advisory referenda on any public issue.
The decision of a majority of the
Commissioners to let the temporary
restraining order of Justice Let's
stand unchallenged leaves still pend
ing for consideration at the District
Building the four applications for
alcoholic beverage licenses in Takoma
and the general petition of a large
number of residents that the section
be designated a dry area.
Each on Merit.
Under the liquor control act, the
specific applications for licenses are
before the Alcoholic Beverage Control
Board for decision, and Chairman
George w. Offutt said today that
Each one will be taken up on its
own merits"
Meanwhile, however, the Commits
Sioners have not yet disposed of the
petitions of the residents of Takoma
that their community be declared a
dry area under the section Of the
liquor law which authorizes the Com
missioners to forbid the issuance Of
licenses in any portion of the Dis
trict when, in their opinion, it is in
the public interest.
Commissioner Allen Is understood
to have dissented from the decision of
the Commissioners at a brief board
meeting this morning in accepting the
court ruling without appeal.
Allen Silent.
The restraining order which halted
the referendum was asked for by the
license applicants and Justice Let's
based his decision to grant it largely
on the opinion voiced recently by
Commissioner Allen that, while the
Commissioners technically would not
be bound to grant or refuse licenses
on the basis of the referendum, that
he personally believed the wishes Of
the residents as expressed in the ref
erendum should be followed.
Commissioner Allen declined to
comment on the court decision today
except to say that "it means I am
going to try to put through at the
next session of Congress a bill pro-
viding for an advisory referendum,
which will permit the people Of the
District to vote on all public issues.
believe in majority rule and am will
ing to stand or fall on that subject"
Weighs California Plan.
He indicated he would assume re-
sponsibility for seeking this legislation,
and already has conferred with the
corporation counsel'S office regarding
preparation Of bill. The form of ad-
visory referendum he has in mind
would be similar to a plan followed in
California, where the people vote on
public questions, but with the result
not binding on the authorities. The
main object of such a referendum
would be to advise the authorities as
to the trend Of public sentiment on a
question.
Aliens View Is Factor.
Although Justice Let's touched on
other reasons for his action, such as
the right of taxpayers to apply for
such an injunction and the right OF
equity courts to intervene in elec-
tions in certain exceptional cases, he
described the personal views of Com
missioner Allen regarding the refer
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