Evening star., 1936-12-27
LIQUOR BILL TEST
TOMORROW MAY
PREC|P|TATE FIGHT
Sale Measure to Be Dis.
cussed Publicly at In.
formal Hearing.
PAM. CLOSING AND | Pm.
OPENING HOURS SOUGHT
10 Other Proposals Selected for
Airing, II More Being
Studied by officials.

Nuuor on Sunday will be one OF IL
legislative proposals to be subjected
to q test Of public sentiment tomor-
row at Q public hearing called by the
District Commissioners. The session
will be opened at 1915 am. in room
lls Of the District Building.
While arrangements for the hear
ing are informal. and officials have not
scheduled time for the appearance OF
spokesmen for various civic and pro-
fessional groups, Corporation Counsel
Elwood H. Seal anticipated there will
be . battle over this proposed amend
mont to the District liquor act.
The measure was introduced at the
last session Of Congress by Repre-
sentative Dirksen, Republican. Of nli-
nois. It would allow restaurants,
hotels and clubs to continue the sale
Of hard liquor until am. Sundays
and TO resume such sales at pm. on
Sundays. Sale of hard liquor now
must stop at midnight on Saturdays.
The IL bills selected for discussion
ct the hearing are only part Of the
tentative legislative program being
considered by the Commissioners.
There are II other bills, many of
which were presented to Congress last
session, which are being studied.
Many of them may be submitted to
the Budget Bureau for its reaction.
Building Sale Proposed.
Among the latter are proposals for
nf ri irt
the United States as step toward
development of q new home for the
municipal government; to control the
small loan business; to place wres-
ting under the control Of the Dis
trict Boxing Commission. and to ex-
tend the powers of the District Com
miSsioners (but not to give them
power over the Board OF Education
and other citizens boards.
In the past, the Commissioners have
opposed many suggestions for major
changes in the District liquor act,
holding that the present law is work.
ing well and should not be radically
revised. Their report on the Dirksen
measure, however, may be Influenced
by the public reaction that develops
at tomorrow's hearing.
A second important measure sched-
uled for consideration tomorrow Is
one to put additional teeth In the
District laws against gambling. This
Is one urged for several years by
Police Supt. E. w. Brown. 1t would
amend the code of laws to make the
possession Of tickets, certificates, slips,
tokens and other devices prima facie
evidence of the purpose Of engaging
In the numbers games.
A third important bill for tomor-
rows consideration Is the proposed
amendment of the Juvenile Court
act to modernize the treatment OF
Juvenile Court cases. Amendments
to this bill have been drafted in
keeping with ideas developed at hear
ings at the past session Of Congress.
Subway Survey Urged.
Other bills scheduled for the hear
ing include the following: To ap-
propriate SIS, 900 for a survey of the
need and cost Of q subway system for
street car transportation; to extend
Prospect avenue through Georgetown
to provide q bypass for M street; to
extend control over the sale Of bar
bAtur!c drugs: to establish a farm for
the treatment and cure Of habitual
drunkards and authorize expenditure
OF 100000 for the development Of
such an institution: to create a mem
tai health commission to take over
the handling of lunacy cases, now
considered by .juries In United States
District Court; to require that per-
sons practicing law in the District
must be members Of the District bar;
to establish Government stations for
compulsory semi-annual inspection OF
motor vehicles; to regulate and license
real estate brokers and realty sales
men,
The bill for the sale Of the District
Building to the Federal Government
proposes creation of a commission
consisting Of the architect of the
Capitol, District assessor and the su-
pervising architect Of the Treasury to
report to Congress what would be the
fair value" to be paid for the struc-
ture
This is . part Of the plan to raise
funds for the construction Of q new
District Building in the municipal
center site. The Commissioners have
proposed sale to the Federal Govern
ment of the lower two squares Of the
site to raise the remainder of the
needed funds.
Other Measures Considered.
Other legislative measures which
The Commissioners may submit for in
PRODUCTION in Congress include the
following:
To license and require . bond for
gasoline importers who act as fiscal
agents for the District in the collec-
tion Of the gasoline sales tax.
To increase penalties for persons
convicted Of second or third felony
offenses. As proposed in 1895 by
Representative Reed Of Illinois, this
measure would require imposition Of
the fun penalty under existing law
for . second felony offense and .
term Of not less than is years for s
third felony offense.
To require the placing Of q silver
nitrate solution or other prophylactic,
approved by the District health ofncer,
in the eyes of newborn infants.
To prevent lettering In or about |
public schools and other public or
semi-public buildings, under . penalty
Of fine up to $25.
TO amend the law governing the |
practice Of optometry.
To limit the sale Of drugs to regis |
tered pharmacists.
To raise the limit for q petty lar
ceny charge from $35 to SIS.
To create two classes of detectives |
In the Police Department, one to re-
ceive $500 year additional pay and
the other $240, and to permit IN In