Evening star., 1936-03-18
A Sound Move.

Inc commissioners approval Of the
Alcoholic Beverage Boards recommen-
dation that class A liquor licenses
gradually be reduced to a maximum of
300 has been given, it is believed, in
accordance with prevailing community
sentiment. The New Deals plan for
liquor regulation was coupled, according
to the statements of its sponsors, at least,
with temperance. Certainly the ends of
temperance are not to be gained
through constantly increasing the num-
Der of places for sale of liquor. It seems
pretty well agreed that there are too
many such places in the District now.
That being the case, the number should
be reduced and the board, backed by
a majority of the Commissioners, pro-
poses to accomplish it by a reasonable,
well-defined policy.
That policy will be gradually to cut
down the number of licensees by refus-
ing to issue new licenses in place of those
revoked for cause or voluntarily sur
rendered because of business failures,
etc. There are about 400 such licenses
now.
Commissioner Aliens dissent is based
in part on his apprehension that as
existing licenses become more valuable
through diminution in the total-the
transfer Of licenses from one holder to
another will become a well-developed
racket" with license-seekers paying
high prices for licenses already held. 1t
would seem, however, that proper
remedy for this abuse lies through
amendment of the liquor law, with
drawing, except under certain conditions,
the privilege of license transfer. Other
wise the liquor license, instead Of repre-
senting the governments permission to
deal in regulated business, is apt to
represent vested interest, the value of
which is determined through the ordi-
nary processes of barter. Mr.. Allen does
not believe that this should be the case,
but does believe the license should be
available to persons qualified under the
law to hold one.
But the ordinary rights of individuals
to engage in any business are, of course.
restricted when the business is subjected
to strict governmental regulation. A
group of men can no longer build a
railroad when the fancy strikes them.
They must first get permission of
the Interstate Commerce Commis-
sion, which looks at the matter from
the standpoint of public necessity. In
the case of liquor regulation, the law
gives the Commissioners authority to
limit the number of licenses, taking into
consideration the best interests of the
community. If the Commissioners fail to
adopt definite policy for effecting such
limitation, the board will be without any
rule and the number of licensees will
continue to increase.
Before the experiment of total pro-
hibition the number Of licensed saloons
was being gradually reduced and the
city's dry area enlarged through increas-
ing limitations on the location OF saloons.
The same general objectives should be
sought under the post-repeal experiment
in liquor regulation. Glass A licenses,
which the Commissioners propose to re-
duce, are held by the dispensers Of bot
tied goods sold for consumption off the
premises. The majority of the licensees
are the liquor stores, displaying their
famboyant signs from one end Of the
District to the other. There are too
many of them. The ION sale" licenses
are issued only to bona fide restaurants,
hotels, clubs, etc. Their number is al
ready limited to some extent by the re-
quirement that the principal revenue of
the licensee shall be derived from the sale
of food.