Evening star., 1934-07-17
CITY HEADS FAVOR
A. HARD LIQUOR BAN
DC FOR TAK0MA ZONE

Continued From First Page)
out. will determine largely the condi-
tions existing across the line in Mary
land
Il have no desire here to discuss
the question Of whether Federal pro-
hibition was an improvement over the
past or whether repeal was an i'm
provement over prohibition" DR..
Nichols said. The question before
your honorable body is more simple
and more circumscribed than that.
We are appealing, not for legislation
for wide sweep of States from the
Atlantic to the Pacific. but for a few
square blocks in one city"
Jesse c. Suter, resident OF
Takoma Park, president OF the So
ciety Of Natives Of the District of
Columbia. was the next speaker for
the Citizens Association of Takoma,
D. c. He reviewed the history of
Takoma, pointing out it was estab-
lished so years ago as a high-grade
residential community on both sides
of the District of Columbia and Mary
land line.
Want to Avoid Nuisance.
Through all the years there has
been one striking characteristic COM
mon to both Takoma Park, Md, and
Takoma, D. c.. and that is that there
has been no legalized sale of alcoholic
beverages with the single variation OF
the sale of 81 beer on the District side
since the passage of the so-called nom
intoxicating beer bill by Congress"
Continuing, he said: I'VE pray to
be spared from the nuisance of having
our little business section Of Takoma,
D. c.. made a wet spot in an other
wise dry community. The people who
really do the public spirited things in
Takoma are the leaders in the move
ment to keep Takoma dry without
talk of reward. The leaders Of the
opposition either expect a direct or an
indirect financial benefit"
After testimony by the proponents
of Takoma as a dry area, D. D. La
mond. attorney for four applicants for
alcoholic beverage licenses took the
stand on behalf Of his clients. He
said that while the church people"
had been able to secure a list OF sign
ers. asking for a full dry rule for the
community. the applicants themselves
succeeded in getting $50 persons to
sign petition supporting them, and
this, he said, after the other side
had muddied up the waters for three
weeks"
Denies Area Is Dry.
He denied Takoma was dry or ever
had been dry, and listed a group of
clubs in that area in which he said
liquor was sold.
He described the location of the
four licensed applicants businesses as
in the heart of Takomas commercial
section, and argued that the opponents
could easily avoid passing by these
business places by taking more con-
venient routes to downtown Washing
ton. He was roundly Missed for this
observation and Commissioner Hazen
raped for order
LamondS clients are Mattingly
Brothers Drug Store, which seeks an
off-sale liquor license; the Takoma
DelicateSSen and the Takoma Sea
Food Store, which seek an on-sale
beer and light wine license, and Simp-
sons Grocery Store, which has applied
for an off sale beer license.
Lamond argued that Takoma is mot
so arid as the drys would have us
be lieve" since sales records of stores
which have been selling 80 beer show
large consumption. Lamond said IL
stores were not allowed to sell al
coholic beverages they would have to
go out of business. At this point, the
drys in the gathering set up shout
Of applause.
Reads News Story.
Lamond then read from a news
paper a notice of a church carnival
at which beer would be served. Il
daresay," he said, that the people
belonging to this church are as good
as the church folk who are here to-
day protesting beer licenses"
Lamond then argued that the resi-
dents OF Takoma really had little right
to protest the pending Takoma appli-
cations since the places Of the appli-
cants were located in business zones
near industrial areas.
Maj Gotwals interrupted to remark
that this fact was an argument on the
side of the drys rather than the vets.
Ringgold Hart, former assistant cor-
poration counsel, appearing as spokes-
man for H. L. Thornton, an advocate
of permits for Takoma, insisted the
Commissioners should not set up dry
area and that if they did you will
be in hot water to the end Of your
natural days"