Evening star., 1934-01-05
CeIIer Recommends Lower
Tax on Wine to Develop
Light Drinking.
DIVIDED AUTHORITY
ON CONTROL OPPOSED
Representative and Bride Quizzed
by Joint Session
Adjourns Until Tomorrow.

A report from a special committee of
the Board Of Trade favoring the pri-
vate license system in preference to
Government dispensaries or a monopoly,
and plea by Representative Celler Of
New York for lower tax on wine to
make this "a wine e-drinking nation"
were the nighlights this morning at the
opening session of joint hearings before
the House and Senate District Com
mittees on liquor control legislation for
Washington.
Corporation Counsel Bride made a
strong defense of the license system
as proposed in the bill of the Com
missioners and declared it was adopted
in lieu of the dispensary system be-
cause the Commissioners cid not want
to put the District in the liquor busi-
ness.
The hearing was abruptly recessed
shortly before 1890 pm. TO permit
members of the House District Com
mittee to participate in the debate in
the House on the general liquor tax
bill. The hearings Will be resumed to-
morrow at 10 am
The question whether the license sys-
tenn or some form of Government dis
penSaries should be adopted mere is eX-
pected to be one of the main points Of
discussion as the hearings progress.
Most of the morning session was re-
qui"ed, however for an explanation Of
the Commissioners private license bill
by Bride. with Senators and Representa-
tiyes asking many questions about de-
tailed provisions.
approximately 200 Washingtonians
gathered in the large caucus room of
/ the old House Office Building as Chair
man Mary T. Norton of the House COM
mittee and Chairman William H. King
of the Senate group opened the proceed
ings with brief statements expressing
the hope their committees will be able
to work cut a control measure satis-
factory TO both branches of Congress.
Asks Fair Prices.
The hearings were opened with q
statement by Chairman Norton, urging
prompt passage Of bill that will pro-
tect the best interests of temperance,
but liberal enough to give District resi-
dents good liquor at fair prices.
/ She urged her audience, however. to
remember President RooSevelts sugges-
/ ton that the saloon must not return.
Mrs Norton then turned the gavel
over TO Chairman King who expressed
the hope that at the close Of the hear
ingS the two committees would find 1t
/ possible to work out in executive session
a bill satisfactory to the members OF
/ both branches of Congress.
Before calling the first witness. Sem
ator King placed in the record re-
/ port received this morning from spe-
cial committee of the Washington
Board of Trade, favoring the private
/ license system in preference to Govern
ment dispensaries, but recommending
several changes in the license plan pre-
pared by the District Commissioners.
Proposes Notifications.
The Board of Trade Committee stated
that. in general, it favors the Commits
sioners' bill. with the following modif-
cations
/. That the Control Board be self
governed and allowed to make the
necessary regulations to carry out the
! law and to fix the number of licenses
to be granted. without appeal except to
court on questions of law Under
the bill as drawn. the power of making
regulations would be shared between
the Control Board and the Commits
sioners and there could be an appeal TO
to the Commissioners On license mat
tiers.
2 That no designation of sex be pre-
scribed for appointment to the Control
Board The Commissioners recon-
mended that one Cf the three board
members be a woman
3. That the salaries of the board
members be $500 instead Of $4,000 a
year.
T. That the terms of board men,
bers be six years instead of four years
as recommended by the Commissioners.
The Board of Trade Committee
was composed of George w. Ofutt,
Paul Lesh, Edgar Morris and Law
renee Williams
The Trade Boards committee took
the view that whatever is done on the
liquor subject should have as one OF
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