Evening star., 1940-07-16
Shafer Charges
Indifference on
Liquor Reforms
Probe Threatened
On 'Tordiness'
Of Officials
BY JAMES E. CHINN.

BY JAMES E. CHINN.
Threats Of a congressional In
vestigation into alleged "tardiness
and indifference" in failing to act
promptly on the recommendations
Of special subcommittee of the
House District Committee which
recently completed an investigation
Of the liquor control situation here
we're hurled at the Commissioners
and the Alcoholic Beverage Control
Board today by Representative
Shafer. Republican. of Michigan.
Mr.. Shafer. member of the SUBJ
committee, charging that District
oficials have been dilatory in at
tempting to solve some of the liquor
control problems, said "the Commits
sioners and the board are still
Ignoring condition which urgently
demands attention.
"The next congressional investiga-
tion," he declared, will be an in
1uiry into the hardness and in
difference of District officials II
something isn't done promptly"
Opposes "Obnoxious' Ads.
Mr.. Shafer. who declared last
week the initial investigation only
scratched the surface" Of the evils
In the liquor situation here and
urged reopening of the inquiry. did
not mention the recommendations
of the subcommittee he believed
should have been carried out with
out delay.
1t is known. however. he is op-
posed to what he describes as "ob-
noxious" advertising by liquor stores.
especially the use of Neon signs and
price cutting" among retail liquor
dealers.
Some of the principal recon-
mendations of the investigating SUBJ
committee were:
/. That the number of stores SELL
Ing liquor by the bottle be drastically
reduced and ordered to close at 9
pm. instead of IL midnight.
q Prohibition of price advertising
and limitation of size of advertising
signs.
3. Screening off the beverage de-
partments in so-called combination
stores-those that sell commodities
as well as liquor.
4. Allowing hotels. night clubs,
restaurants and other places that
sell liquor by the drink to remain
open until 2 am. Sunday instead of
being forced to close their bars at
IL midnight Saturday.
5. Permitting persons to stand at
bars and drink instead of being
forced to sit down at tables.
Statement Issued.
Mr.. Shafer's attack on the Com
missioners and the A. B. C.. Board
was made in 250-word prepared
statement, which said, in part:
The District Commissioners and
the Alcoholic Beverage Control
Board have a direct responsibility
to put into effect Immediately the
recommendations of the House Dis
trict Committee in regard to i'm
provement of the operation of the
alcoholic beverage industry in the
National Capital.
Failure of these authorities even
to have considered the recon-
mendations made weeks ago is un-
fair to the public, unfair to those
In the beverage business and unfair
to the congressional committee
which spent months finding out
what was wrong with the operation
Of the A. B. C. Act.
Il cannot find any reason for the
dilatoriness of District officials in
getting to work on this problem.
They should have found the solu-
ton before a congressional investi-
cation was made necessary. Now
that the investigation has been con-
Quoted and a report made, the
Commissioners and the board are
still ignoring condition which
urgently demands attention.
Committee Named by Licensees
so far as I have been able to
determine the only people who have
tried to do anything about the re-
port and about conditions are the
beverage people themselves. The
Beverage Bulletin, trade publica-
ton, reports meeting of licensees
which took up the report in detail
and appointed committee to work
for the reforms suggested.
1T is a strange state of affairs
when the industry has to take the
initiative in a matter of this kind.
1t is reflection of the Commits
sioners and the board and a trib-
ute to the type of men engaged in
the business. They are willing to
support the restrictions which the
report recommended. The Com
missioners should certainly be as
willing"
Several weeks ago Representa-
tive Eberharter, chairman of the
Investigating Subcommittee, issued
warning that unless steps were
taken promptly to clean up" the
liquor situation in Washington there
would be further congressional ac-
ton. This warning followed a case
IN District Court which disclosed
that a 17-year old girl had pur-
chased liquor in five establishments
on Ninth street NV. and that a
waiter In one of these places had
engaged in pandering.
At that time, he said:
THE report of the subcommittee
carried full implication that un-