Evening star., 1938-10-07
LIQUOR DEALERS
SEEK REFORMS
Retail Association Acts to
Stave Off Move for D. c.
State Stores.

Reports that attempts" will be
made at the next session of Congress
to foster a State store monopoly
system of liquor control for the Dis
trict, unless conditions in the trade
are corrected, have been laid before
District officials by the District of Co
lumbia Retail Liquor Dealers Associa-
ton, it was revealed today.
Declarations that secret discounts,
deals and rebates" are involved in the
situation are contained in statements
left at the District Building by spokes-
men for the association. Tie group
has adopted a six-point plan for i'm
provement of the trade, the document
showed.
One District official said the asso-
ciation statement was laid before him
in connection with arguments for
adoption OF proposed new regulation
which would ban the use of prices in
liquor advertisements, posters, dodgers
or on the shelves of liquor stores.
Hearing Slated on Price Ban.
The proposed ban on advertising Of
prices will be considered at a public
hearing by the Alcohol Beverage Con-
troll Board next Tuesday morning. Op-
ponents of the plan have argued its
adoption would have the effect of put
ting cut-rate stores out of business.
The associations statement, issued
over the signature of William Stein,
hrst vice president, said, in part:
THE alcoholic beverage industry in
the District has witnessed one of its
most crucial periods since the year
1884.
Secret discounts, deals and rebates
have accomplished everything that the
professional dry could ever have wished
he could have gained through the ex-
penditures of his millions of dollars.
Offutt's Treat" Cited.
Price cutting, disrespect for the
alcoholic beverage laws and regulations
and many other practices finally began
to take root and to such an extent
that at conference with George w.
Ohutt, chairman of the board. he
went SO far as to state that if the in
dustry continued to conduct itself in
the manner in which it was now hold
ing itself forth, that the board un-
doubtedly would be caused to reduce
the class A retail liquor licenses by 100.
Rumors have gotten as far as New
York City that at this session of Con-
gress attempts will be made to foster
State store monopoly system for the
District.
Several years ago, with the aid of
Representative Dirksen and Palmi-
sano, the alcoholic beverage industry
was successful in stopping the move
ment to dry up the District. Last year,
with the aid of the same gentlemen,
and l can assure you that with the
further aid of only handful of other
people, were we able to stop the
Congress Of the United States from
imposing a higher gallonage tax On
spirits in the District"
Ready to Submit Evidence.
The statement then said arrange
ments had been made by which the
association would report to the Federal
Trade Commission instances of "the
giving of all secret rebates, discounts
and free goods"
Members of the association were
urged to pledge support to the follow
ing objectives: A fair trade law, no
burning of Neon signs after the hours
OF legal sale, class G licenses shall
purchase alcoholic BEVERAGES other than
beer. wines and champagnes, in con-
tainers not less than one-f1fth gallon
In size, no transfer Of class A license
within 750 feet Of class A license
now on premises approved by the A.
B. G. Board, advertising of prices shall
be unlawful, work with the counsel
of the Federation of Business Mems
Association in the keeping of District
taxes unburdened"