Evening star., 1935-03-07
Fears Return to 0Id-Time
Saloon by Changing
D. c. Liquor Law.
COMMISSIONER CLASHES
WITH SANDS, TESTIFYING
Objects to References Regarding
Attitude of Hotel Owners
on Two Bills.


committee of the House District Com
mittee on two bills to bring the mix
ing of alcoholic drinks into the open.
Allen declared the District already
has "a fine liquor law" and that open
bars would mark the first step toward
the return of the old-time saloon in
direct defiance of the Democratic
party's platform pledge.
He cited conditions in Chicago,
Miami and other cities which have
open bars and declared they had re-
turned to the old-time saloon.
Committee Room Packed.
The District Committee room, where
the hearing was held, was jammed to
capacity with spectators and wit
nesses Many of them, women as we'll
as men, were forced to stand.
An hour before Allen testified he
claShed with Charles E. Sands, rep
resenting the Hotel and Restaurant
Employees and Bartenders' Alliance,
who was on the witness stand. The
Commissioners objected to certain ref
erences Sands had made with respect
to the attitude of hotel owners on
becoming Commissioner, was general
manager of the Wardman Park Hotel.
After Sands had made several state
ments in connection with the hotel
owners, Allen suddenly interrupted
his testimony and declared:
He IS making lot of inSinuationS.
I am not in any way connected with
any hotel. I happen to be earnest.
7 gave up a much better job than I
have now to do a good job for the
District
Sands said he did not have any
quarrel" with Allen. I'VE have been
good friends in the past" he declared.
And this is the only question on
which we have had an issue"
Open Bar Bills Backed.
Sands. as well as Representative
Better, Democrat, of New York and
Grover G. Aderholt, president of the
National Association Opposed to Blue
Laws, supported the open-bar bills.
Better is the sponsor of one of these
measures. The other was introduced
by Representative Dirksen, Republic
an, of Illinois.
Better, at the outset of his testi-
mony, commended the Commissioners
on their efforts to carry out the pro-
visions of the liquor control act and
expressed the belief more inspectors
and other employees are needed to
correct certain conditions. He de-
scribed hidden bars" as silly" how
ever, and pointed out they breed in
sanitary conditions and permit the
bartenders to defraud the public by
selling low-Tade stimulants at the
price Of high-grade liquor.
Better revealed he had made per-
sonal inspection in some restaurants,
and in one, he said, he found liquor
card listing 81 different brands of
liquor, but check-up in the kitchen
showed there were only IL brands in
stock.
Better also said it is unfair to per-
init the sale of beer on Sunday and
not stronger drinks, and in addition
he voiced opposition to the - o'clock
closing regulation on Saturday nights,
because it deprived night workers OF
night cap"
there is nothing degrading" about
mixing drinks in public, and his or
ganization saw no reason for the pres
ent secrecy. He also described the
Sunday "blue law" with respect to
the sale of hard liquors as holdover
from prohibition.
Dirksen interrupted Aderholt to an
nounce that he had information show
ing that l 900 gallons of untaxed alco-
hol is being smuggled into Washington
daily for diversion into bootleg chan
nels.
II will be prepared to prove that
later" Dirksen declared, "and also to
prove that this alcohol is not being
brought here to rub on somebody's
ankles"
Henry I. Quinn, a member of the
Board of Education. told the subcom-
mittee the people of the District are
strongly in favor of leaving in the
hands of the Commissioners the power
to determine the distance of liquor
stores from schools and churches.
Dirksen explained his bill was not in
tended to disturb that feature of the
liquor control act.
Amendments Proposed.
As prelude to the hearing the
Commissioners sent to Chairman Nor
ton of the House District Committee
a series of proposed amendments to
the liquor control act.
The amendments. drawn by George
W. Offutt, chairman of the A. B. c.
Board, are designed primarily to
tighten enforcement and to correct
flaws in existing law.
One would prevent ION sale" estab-
iishments from selling drinks imme-
s1iately preceding the legal deadline
for consumption afterward. Another
would increase the penalty for drink
ing in public.
! other proposed changes define
champagne as "any effervescent
wine" provide for the suspension Of
licenses instead of revocation for
minor offenses and give the suspended
licensee the same right of appeal
as the retailer whose permit Is revoked.
Marine vessels, under the proposed
changes. would have the right to store
beverages and tax them only for
the amount sold.
Meanwhile, petitions urging Con-
gress to enact the Better bill, which
would permit the sale Of liquor in
hotels, restaurants and clubs Of the
District after pm. Sundays, are
being circulated by the National As
sociation Opposed to Blue Laws.
The association points out in the
petitions that the Sunday restriction
on sales Of liquor is virtually another
blue law. It is contended that this
is wrong in principle and in practice.
The petitions call attention to the
fact that New York, Maryland and
other sections have Sunday liquor
sales and that such sales should be
permitted In the District.