Evening star., 1935-03-24
First Test of Sentiment on
Present Rulings Due
This Week..
FIGHT TO PREVENT
SALOON RETURN BEGINS
Bills Considered Would Permit
Mixing of Drinks in Sight
of Customer.

Important principles in the method
oil control of the sale Of liquor in the
National Capital will be at stake We'd
nesday when the House District Com
mittee considers amendments to the
District liquor act to permit open mix
ing of drinks.
This will be the first serious test
of sentiment on moves to make i'm
portant changes in the act, which be-
came law January "a OF last year.
Determined debate by opposing fac
tons Of the committee is expected.
The drive of some groups to abolish
present restrictions will be countered
by those who uphold the contention
of the President and the pledge Of
the Democratic platform that there
shall be no return Of the old-time
saloon.
While the committee will have be-
fore it two bills interpreted as weak
ening the present system. there will
be up for approval amendments recon-
mended by the District Commissioners
designed to strengthen the present
rules. One Of these would forbid
drinking of liquor after legal closing
hours for sale of beverages at licensed
places, another would step up penal
ties for intoxication for second and
third offenses and another would allow
greater discretion in suspension Of L.
censes.
Removing Hidden Bars"
Moves TO weaken the present system
are before Congress in the form Of
bills by Representatives Dirksen of
Illinois and Better of New York. both
of which would permit mixing of
drinks in the sight of customers, or
removal of the hidden bars"
AS now drawn the Dirksen bill also
would eliminate from the present act
specific authority conferred on the
Commissioners to forbid the issuance
OF any class or classes of licenses for
businesses established subsequent to
the date Of this act near or around
schools, college, universities, churches
or public institutions"
Dirksen, however, has disclaimed to
some District officials any intention to
limit the control of the Commissioners
over licenses in such instances. This
deletion Of wording in the present law
has been described as mistake"
To do away with the present system
of non-public mixing Of drinks, the
Dirksen bill would provide that 'all
alcoholic beverages offered for sale or
sold by the holder of such licenses
(for sale Of drinks for consumption on
the premises of the establishment
shall be displayed and dispensed in
full sight of the purchaser"
City Heads Oppose.
The Better bill would ban use Of
any curtaine6 box. STALL partition or
any obstruction which prevents a full
view of the entire room, by any per-
son present in the place where drinks
are drawn or mixed. 1t provides that
bars left over from old saloon days
may be converted into service bars"
by the erection Of plate glass screen
at its outer edge at least IL inches
high. Also, it would permit sale of
drinks on Sundays after pm,
whereas sales on Sundays now are
prohibited by law.
lie SOIIlIIllSSlOU6IS IldN6 O1Sdp-
proved the proposed open bars" and
Commissioner Allen is prepared to
wage a determined fight against
change. He believes this drive is the
first step toward return of the old
time saloon.
This recalls that the Democratic
platform carried a pledge against re-
turn of the saloon and President
Roosevelt, in a proclamation of the
repeal of prohibition, said: Il ask
especially that no State by law or
otherwise authorize the return Of the
saloon, either in its old form or in
some modern guise."
Before the present liquor reegula-
tions we're adopted, the Commissioners
we're called to a conference at the
White House and it was stated the
President was insistent there be no
return of anything resembling the old
saloon.
The District law and regulations
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