Evening star., 1935-03-24
Amending the Liquor-Contro Act.

This week the House District Com
mittee is expected to consider three
bills for amendment of the District
liquor-control act. One of them has
been introduced by Chairman Norton,
at the request of the Alcoholic Bev-
erage Control Board, and may be
described generally as tightening up
and strengthening the liquor act to
remedy defects exposed through expe-
rience. The two other bills, one by
Representative Dirksen of Illinois
and the other by Representative
Better of New York, seem designed
primarily to get rid of the so-called
hidden bar regulation, which for
bids the mixing of drinks in the
presence of the customer. although
they contain other provisions which
may be interpreted as weakening the
liquor control act.
The repeated attacks against the
"hidden bar" regulation have failed
to bulge Commissioner Allen from
his firm stand that such a regulation
is necessary TO comply with the
Presidents implicit declaration, con-
taned in his proclamation OF the
repeal of the eighteenth amendment:
ask especially that no State shall.
by law or otherwise, authorize the
return of the saloon either in its
old form or in some modern guise.
It will be recalled that the Pres
ident's signature of the District
liuuor-control act was accompanied
by published reports of his having
assured himself, in conversation with
the Commissioners, that the law and
regulations under the law would in
reality prevent the return OF the
saloon to the District.
1t may be said that if the only
difference between the old saloon
and the modern establishment where
liquor is sold is that a screen is now
erected to shield the process of mix
ing drinks from the eyes of the GUS
toner, then that difference is hardly
worth preserving in view of the criti-
cism of the hidden bar" But Mr..
Aliens conception Of the issue Is
broader than that. 1t is funda-
mental principle of the liquor-con-
troll act that the business of selling
intoXicants for consumption on the
premises is a side line, of secondary
Importance to the main business OF
conducting a hotel, club or bona
fide restaurant. In such establish
ments the preparation of food is not
done in the presence of the customer,
who is willing to leave such business
to the cooks in the kitchen. Should
regulations be changed to enable
the bartender to mix drinks IN the
presence of the customer, Mr., Allen
feels that the main business of the
establishment will become the serving
of drinks, and with other atmospheric
additions the saloon either in its old
form or in some modern guise" will
return. Even if the line that divides
the old saloon from the modern
liquor sales place is no thicker than
the baize screen which shields the
bartender, Commissioner Allen is de-
termined to hold it. He naturally
has the support of those sincerely
determined to prevent the return of
the saloon-a slogan, by the way,
that once predominated the banners
Of the repeal-advocating vets.
Whether due to careless compo-
sition. or whether it is the intent of
the bill, Mr.. Dirksen's proposed
amendment of section of the liquor
act would eliminate existing pro-
visions forbidding licenses to places
established subsequent to passage of
the act (January "a, 1880 near or
around schools, colleges, universities,
churches, or public institutions" In
either case, the amendment is obvi-
ously unsatisfactory as drawn, for it
removes a source of protection earn
estly advocated by citizens at the
time the liquor act was under con-
eideration.
A provision of the Better bill would
take from the Commissioners and the
Board their present power to pre-
scribe the hours during which liquor
may be sold, and would permit sales
on Sunday after 1 o'clock in the
afternoon. The Commissioners and
the Board should retain their con-
troll over selling hours and other mat
ters now subject to regulation.
If the liquor act is to be amended,
1t should be strengthened, as recon-
mended by the Commissioners and the
Alcoholic Beverage Control Board;
not weakened to encourage the ad-
ditional sale of liquor under conditions
approximating the old-time saloon.