Evening star., 1936-03-10
AB.C.BOARD HOLDS
RIGHT TO CONTROL
NUMBER LICENSED
Commissioners Fail to Act
on Recommendation
! for Limit. .
APPEARS "P0LICY"
TO BE MAINTAINED
Will Seek Legal Advice on Au-
thority to Work Dealers
Down to 400.
BY DON S. WARREN.


The District Commissioners today
failed to take final action on recon-
mendation by the Alcoholic Beverage
Control Board for limitation OF the
number of class A liquor licenses to
400 but stated that the decision lay
within the province of the A. B. C..
Board.
While there was some uncertainty
as to the effect of the Commissioners
action on the proposal, it appeared to
leave the A. B. c. Board free, tenn
porarily at least, to maintain policy"
of allowing no more than the present
number of 400.
The question has been under study
for a number of weeks. The limit OF
400 licenses for stores selling all kinds
of liquor "off sale" In sealed containers
was invoked for the license year which
ended March /.
Asked Reduction Permit.
The A. B. C. Board recently asked
the Commissioners to extend the rule
for the new license year and to include
a proviso that the number could be
cut down to 300, as existing permits
were either revoked or given up from
time to time The minutes of the
Commissioners meeting today stated,
'the Commissioners are not inclined
to favor reduction of the number of
class A license from 400 to 300, but
it is felt this lies within the province
of the Alcoholic Beverage Control
Board"
Members of the board said they
would maintain the present 400 limit
as matter of policy" and would
seek legal advice as to their authority
to work the number down gradually to
300. The Commissioners, of course,
have the right at any time to upset
policies of the A. B. C. Board
Commissioner George E. Allen, who
supervises administration of the liquor
law, does not favor any arbitrary limit
on the number of permits.
Opens Door to Racket.
Such rule opens the door to
real estate racket in that it gives the
holder of a permit the opportunity to
hold up some applicant for a class A
E permit the right to transfer the Ii
cence," Allen said prior to the meeting.
"A liquor permit is privilege granted
to dealer and in my opinion is not
vested right which permits him to
make a profit when he is giving up the
permit and leaving the liquor busi-
ness"
Allen was favorably considering
suggestion that if there was to be
definite limit on the number of IL
censes which could be issued there
should be proviso the number could
be exceeded when a qualified appli-
cant was able to show the additional
permit should be issued as a matter
of convenience and necessity for the
location concerned. He was not
finally committed on the point. Mem
hers OF the A. B. G. Board said they
felt such an exception to limitation
On the number of class A permits
might mean in effect there was in fact
no limit.
Might Amend Law.
The board considered an appeal to
the Commissioners to propose an
amendment to the liquor law which
would eliminate the present provision
allowing transfer of a permit from a
licensed dealer to another seeking to
enter the business. The A. B. c. Board
members agreed with Allen that man
about to be forced out of the liquor
business because he was not succeed
ing in it should not be allowed to make |
the new applicant pay him price to |
obtain his permit.
Reports have been current that some |
licensed dealers are demanding any
where from $500 to $4,000 to agree to
o transfer.