The Waterbury Democrat., 1935-01-29

I three very distinguished gentlemen who in the past have rendered very valuable assistance, both with their time and energy, to the State of Connecticut and to its citizens, to which l also heartily agree and be 1t understood nt the outset,
 am not and will not criticize these gentlemen, but the commission on which they serve. .f
 During the last state campaign, both the Democratic and Republi- can parties and their various can didates promised to alter and change the present system of con- trol and distribution, also the method of consumption and I, us one of such candidates, expressed certain views on various occasions during the campaign. k shall, therefore. outline as briefly as pos- sible my personal ideas on this
 question which have set forth in
 my act of today which act would 1 create a committee to produce a
 revised law for consideration to
 be voted upon at this session.
 "1st. Abolish the present Liquor Control Commission and charge
 each county of the state with its liquor control, which shall be ad-
 ministered by and under its county commissioners where 1t should be. thereby giving each county more eff .stive administration as to the 1 qualifications and character of
 each individual receiving license
 or permit.
 2nd. Change the present liquor law to allow the licensees or per-
 mittees the right to sell acholic li-
 quors by the drink and not as 1t
 Is supposed to be administered to- | day. On one hand the public will
 buy q quart and proceed to finish
 1t, while next door under a little
 shelf. Paul Jones can call his shot
 and everybody knows this to be true.
 "3rd. I have recommended in
 my bill today that the President of the Senate appoint a committee of five members of the General As-
 sembly. three senators and two
 representatives,, to revise. amend
 and change the present liquor law
 and report their tions
 in the form of a liquor bill or act
 back to the senate and house of
 representatives for action on or be-
 fore April 2, >1935.
 4th. have also included in my
 bill, due to the widespread criti-
 as to their methord and proce-
 oism of the present Control Board dures, that this committee when
 appointed make q thorough and
 complete investigation of the pres. | ent Liquor Control Commission
 and report any irregularities if
 they have existed since the Com
 mission organised, errors of judge ment excepted.
 18th. My next suggestion in the bill is that all licenses or permits
 In force be revoked and that the
 state reimburse pro rata for the period of time such licenses have to their expiriation date; my thought in this respect being that
 the County Commissioners iR heir l respective counties are more famil-
 lar with the granting of licenses or permits to the applicants and have
 q better and more complete know ledge of the charac cter, financial | responsibility and integrity of each
 individual applicant, thereby pre-. I venting any undesirable permittee
 or licersee from obtaining q new
 license or permit. l
 'This bill also provides that q
 limited number of permits or licen-
 ses shall be granted or issued In proportion to the population of the
 cities or towns, viE. one for each
 five hundred population, thereby | removing the number over and
 above the ratio mentioned, drug stores excepted.
 "6th. The hotel industry has suf-
 fered untold losses through the present system and, to my mind,
 they have been discriminated against. With their vast invest inents in real estate and equipment
 and the high standards of their personnel, believe that they have
 been very patient in awaiting some relief from the present law and 1t
 Is my thought that they should be allowed to operate their bar and
 service oh the same high standard
 which inanifests itself in the con- duet of their respective hotels. "7th. I wish at this time to go | on record as being against the gro-
 cery store, fruit store, meat rnar-
 ket, cosmetic stores. clothing
 stores. chain stores, cigar stores, etc, selling iiagcrs or wines In ccgl-
 petition with licenses liquor pack age stores and I would increase the license fees of package stores
 to $250O0 per. year and grant only one license to each fifteen tiious-
 and population or fraction thereof
 in tho various cities or towns and
 extend their closing time tc not later than ten F. M.
 "eth. sf1aii be pleased to hear from anyone having grievance l against the present. Liqu0r Control ! Commission if support of my