Evening star., 1937-02-17
HOUSE GROUP PUTS
!. BEER BILL ASIDE |
b. c. Committee Finds Meas.
ure Would Threaten
= = Local Firms.
BY JAMES e. CHINN.

&~S Aroused WTleQ II OlSCOVeTeQ tIldL tLlc
Palmisano beer bill would destroy the
business of two large Washington
bottling firms, the House District
Committee today recalled the meas
ure from the House calendar and vir-
tually killed it by ordering further
consideration indefinitely postponed.
q, The measure was favorably re-
ported by the committee last week.
II would require all beer sold in
Washington to be bottled at the
brewery.
: Action was taken by the committee
after heated debate, during which
Representative Palmisano, Democrat,
of Maryland, who sponsored the bill,
explained he did not learn its real
effect until after the committee had
approved it. At the same time, how
ever, Palmisano registered protest
against the action of the committee in
recalling the measure before he ar
rived at the meeting. AS a result, the
committee adopted his motion that
in the future it would not reconsider
any previous action unless the member
directly concerned Is notified a week
In advance.
- The committee also heatedly dis
cussed Senate-approved bill designed
to tighten the gambling laws in the
District, and at the same time break
up the numbers racket" This meas
ure was ordered returned to Leslie G.
Garnett, United States attorney for
the District, for amendment. Garnett
will be asked to make certain changes
to meet objections Of several COM
Ynittee members.
=, Change Is Proposed.
One proposed change would elm
inate a provision giving the police
right to search a place suspected Of
violating the gambling law.
Only one bill was favorably reported
by the committee during its hour and
a-half session. It Is a measure the
Senate passed February 10, authoriz-
ing issuance of a license to practice
the healing art to DR.. Clarence Quin-
ton Pair.
The motion for recall Of the Pal
misano beer bill was made by Repre-
sentative Hull, Progressive, of Wiscon-
sin, and seconded by Representative
Dirksen, Republican, OF Illinois.
Immediately after the committee
adopted the motion, James l.. Nc
Dowell, representating the Blatz Brew
ing Co. of Milwaukee, and Wash B.
Williams, president of the American
Sales Co., told the effect enactment Of
the measure would have on their busi-
ness in Washington.
Favorably Reported.
Before Mcdowell and Williams
.spoke, however, Chairman Norton ex-
splained that Palmisano had assured
sthe committee last week his beer bill
would not affect any business in the
District, and on his recommendation
the measure was favorably reported.
THAT was a meaningless little bill,
Madame Chairman" inquired Repre-
5 sentative Bates, Republican, Of Mass
: achusetts.
! "It was HR-s474," replied Mrs.
Norton.
Mcdowell explained that the Blatz
Brewing Co. shipped beer to Wash
!. ington in aluminium casks and it is
9 bottled here in order to save freight
charges. He explained that 100000
J. cases of this brand Of beer are bot
= tied and distributed in Washington
!, every year. He also declared that no
: Milwaukee beer would be able to
+. compete with beer manufactured in
: Washington and vicinity if Pal
: misano's bill is enacted into law.
What prompted this proposed
legislation?" interrupted Bates.
Local brewery interests who wanted
: to eliminate competition" replied Nc
! Dowell
Sees Threat to Firm.
Williams told the committee the
bill, if enacted, would put his firm out
of business, because it would be un-
able to compete with Baltimore brew
ers He said his firm bottles beer
shipped here in large containers and
expects to do 100000 business
this year. He said the establishment
has an investment of $4,000 in its
bottling plant.
Objection to immediate considera-
ton of the bill to put teeth" into
existing gambling laws was first reg
istered by Representative Sacks, Dem
ocrat, of Pennsylvania. He declared
he did not believe it proper to make a
person who plays the numbers equally
guilty with operators of the game.
!, Representative Allen, Democrat, of
Delaware, agreed with him. That's
not fair" he said. "It will catch too
many innocent people. T. not vote
for that"
"You are practically setting up in
this BILL" declared Sacks, authority
for any police officer to walk into
anybody's home to make a search
purely on his information and belief
that the law is being violated"
2 Palmisano Gives Views.
- Palmisano said he thought the bill
should apply to newspapers that give
information on races and print prices
paid winners at pari-mutuel tracks
which the numbers operators use in
their business.
Everybody in the District" Sacks
interrupted, "is at the mercy of the
Police Department under this bill.
That's bad law and it gives to the
parties that enforce 1t much greater
power than they should have. This
proposed law would set up quite q
system of graft"
Palmisano reiterated that the bill
should be amended to prevent news
papers from publishing race track in
formation when the races are not held
near" Washington.
What distance away does an i'm
moral act become moral?" asked Hull,
Palmisano failed to answer that
question.
Palmisano then reopened a discus
sion Of his ill-fated beer bill.
Representative Shafer, Republican,
of Michigan, who made the motion to
report Palmisano's bill favorably last