Evening star., 1934-01-18
LIQUOR REGULATION
DRAFT TING IS BEGUN
Allen Orders Speed in Work
as Result of License Sys.
tenn Passage.

District officials, at the direction of
Commissioner George E. Allen, today
plunged into the work of drafting regu-
Iations to govern sale of hard liquor in
the District, and arrangement of a
number of fiscal matters pertaining to
liquor legislation.
Commissioner Allen ordered speed in
this work as the result of Senate action
yesterday in passing legislation for a
private license system for the LIQUOR
business. anticipating that congressional
action on the measure would be COM
pleted within several days.
Commissioner Allen also conferred
today with Melvin c. Hazen, president
Of the Board Of Commissioners, on can
didates for appointment to the Alco-
holic Beverage Control Board which
would handle license matters. It was
said no decision had been reached yet,
although number Of candidates are
waging vigorous campaigns. All Com
missioner Allen would say was that the
board would be appointed Immediately
after enactment Of the liquor control
bill.
Bride and West in Seclusion.
From other sources there were In.
dications that before the board was
named selected group Of names Of
candidates would be submitted to Post
master General Farley.
In order to speed up drafting Of
regulations required for operation of
the private license system, Corporation
Counsel w. w. Bride and his principal
assistant Vernon E. West, set to work
behind locked doors today so as not to
be interrupted. The Commissioners
were to confer with Bride and West on
matters of policy
Commissioner Allen today asked Mai.
Daniel j. Donovan, District auditor and
budget officer, to confer with the Bureau
of the Budget informally on an urgent
deficiency appropriation which will be
needed before the Liquor Control Board
can start work after passage OF the
measure.
The deficiency item probably will be
for some $35, 1000 to cover costs of the
boards work up to July l.
Commissioner Allen also was search
ing today for Office space for the Liquor
Control Board. He said he could find
no available space of adequate size in
the District Building, now badly over
crowded. The board will have q stan
of g.
Commissioner Allen said that II
needed space could not be found in the
Ford Building, now used for other Dis
trict agencies, it might be necessary to
seek an appropriation for the renting
of private quarters downtown.
Commissioner Allen said the Com
missioners now plan to fix salaries of
inspectors to be engaged by the Liquor
Control Board at s2.400 a year. instead
of a basic salary of $4,000 as originally
planned.
Commissioner Allen declared that
since the liquor control bill is in his
opinion a liberal measure it was his in
tention to see that its provisions were
rigidly enforced.
Visited by Coolidge.
Among the first things to be done
in preparation for legalization of the
sale of liquor will be the drafting of
the forms of APPLICATIONS for licenses
of the bond which they must post to
assure payment of sales taxes and the
petitions for use of residence property
owners who may wish to protest
against granting of licenses in their
communities.
While Commissioner Allen was con-
sidering names Of applicants for jobs
on the liquor board shortly before
noon he received personal call from
Senator Coolidge. Democrat. Of Mas
sachusetts, accompanied by Frank
Hight. formerly associated with the
Willard Hotel, who is an active candi-
date for appointment.
A number Of new names have been
submitted to Commissioner Allen for
consideration it developed also. These
include r. A. Dickson, president of the
Washington Central Labor Union: Maj.
H H. Rabies and Karl Brodt. WASH
ington hat merchant.
The names of Mrs j. Borden Harri-
man, Democratic leader; George w.
Ofutt, Washington banker and lawyer,
and Miss Eta Taggart, lawyer, also
were said to be under consideration, but
it is said these are not active candi-
dates.
Other names known to be on the list
being considered by Commissioner Allen
include Charles w. Ray, Ernest G.
Walker and Rufus S. Lusk.