Evening star., 1934-01-04
Objectives in Liquor Control.

Objectives IN Liquor Control.
The necessary examination and thor
ough discussion Of principles to apply
N the District liquor-control legislation
will be simplifled by the joint hearings
now arranged. and the District legis-
lative committees Of both houses are
to be congratulated on their decision to
tackle this subject-of such vital i'm
portance to the local community-to-
gether.
The members have graciously con-
Sented to hear the spokeSmen for the
community organizations, many Of
which have already made study Of
liquor control legislation and recorded
their views or recommendations. Mem
bers of both houses, in return, have
emphasized their desire to assume the
role Of local legislators and to be
guided by local sentiment in revising
the Commissioners bill, to meet criti-
cism, or to draw up another measure
embodying other principles.
It becomes the duty Of those who
have the interests of the community at
heart to cooperate with the commit
tees Of Congress to the end that the
District liquor control measure will be
fully protective of those interests which
good citizens hold most dear and pre-
ventive of the evils which by tradition
and experience have been identified for
generations with the liquor traffic.
There has been a strong local senti-
ment In favor Of adequate protection
of the home neighborhoods, and of the
schools and libraries and churches and
other institutions, against encroach-
ment by liquor-selling establishments
There has been strong demand for
the sort Of control that will prevent,
by strict limitations, an indiscriminate
growth in number and location Of re-
tail agencies. There has been in
telligent presentation of the prin-
ciple Of controlling hard-liquor sales
by Government monopoly, from dis
pensaries of liquor stores-thus elm
mating the anti-temperance motive Of
private proft-and q greater leniency,
to encourage temperate drinking habits,
in the sale of wine and beer. There Is
united sentiment against the return OF
the saloon. and the President recently
reminded the members Of his party Of
platform pledges to prevent the return
Of the saloon "either In its old form
or in some modern guise-''
There is general assent to the prin-
ciple that the manufacturers of liquor
should not own or have any interest,
direct or indirect, in the selling places
of liquor, or in the retail liquor selling
business. and that those engaged in the
liquor traffic should be separated as far
as possible (and if it be possible) from
politics and from either exercising or
being subject to intimate political
control
The Civic Affairs Committee Of the
Washington Federation Of Churches
has suggested the incorporation in the
bill Of the principle of penalizing the
buyer, as we'll as the seller. of illegal
liquors, as one way to fight the boot
logger. This principle is already rec
ognized in Federal laws. AS stated by
the committee:
Bootleggers could not sell liquor If no
body would buy it. Persons purchasing
from bootleggerS are quite as response
Gncluding kidnapping and racketeering)
as are the bootleggerS themselves. The
responsibility is still greater under re-
peal because the person who buys from
the bootlegger is cheating his Govern
ment. The law should prohibit, under
penalty, both the purchase and sale OF
Illicit liquor.
The Joint committee on District Il
quor control will find differences of
opinion as to details and principles
among those who testify. Such differ
ences are not peculiar to Washington,
and extend. of course. to the members
Of the committees themselves. The
Executive Committee Of the Federal
Council Of Churches Of Christ in
America has called on citizens who
are concerned for sobriety and social
welfare" including those who still be-
lieve that prohibition SIS the only final
solution of the great evil" to "give their
support to securing the best forms OF
control now possible"
That should appeal to everybody as
the common objective.