Evening star., 1940-02-05
Liquor Inquiry
Including A.B.C.
Board Ordered
Drafting Of Bill
To Allow Appeals
On Permits Directed
Bv JAMES E. CHINN.

A thorough investigation OF the
whole liquor situation in Washing
ton, including activities of the
Alcoholic Beverage Control Board,
was ordered today by the House Dis
trict Committee. e A special subcom-
mittee of five members will be
created to conduct the inquiry.
Action was taken after Thomas E.
Lodge, chairman of the A. B. G.
Board, and Mrs. Agnes K. Mason,
vice chairman, had been questioned
bv members about the board S
handling of several cases, particular
" the one of Leo j. RoSSiter, pro-
prietor of seafood restaurant at
4132 Georgia avenue NV, whose
license to sell liquor by the drink
was not renewed February l.
In addition to ordering the in
vestigation the committee directed
Corporation Counsel Elwood H. Seal
to draft bill amending the liquor
control law which would empower
the Commissioners to review appeals
from actions of the A. B. c. Board
LIQUOR licensees under existing law
have no right of appeal in cases
where the board does not renew a
permit.
S. r. o. Sign Out.
Disclosure several days ago that
members of the A. B. G. Board had
been asked to appear before the
committee attracted a record-break-
ing attendance Spectators over.
flowed the committee room into a
corridor and also into an adjoining
Office used by the clerk of the COM
mittee. Some stood on chairs.
Representative Ambrose j. Ken
nedy. Democrat, of Maryland, a
whose request Chairman Randolph
called the A. B. C. Board members
to the committee meeting, made the
motion for the investigation. II
was adopted without a dissenting
vote.
The committee devoted most oI
It's time questioning Mr.. Lodge ane
Mrs. Mason about the boards fail.
ure to renew the liquor license Of
Mr. Rossiter, which expired jan
uary 81. Mr.. Rossiter was present
but was not called on to testify.
Mr.. Lodge strongly defended hi!
action in voting against renewal Of
the license, but pointed out thai
the Rossiter case is still pending be.
fore the board and that another
hearing would be held this week
Need for Promptness Stressed.
Several committee members, in
cluding Chairman Randolph ano
Representatives Kennedy and Mich.
OILS, Democrat, of Oklahoma. stressed
the urgency of prompt" re.
hearing of the case, pointing ou
that Mr. Rossiter's business Is suf
fering.
Mr. Kennedy. at the outset o
the meeting, explained he had "n'
feeling" with respect to the liquo
situation in the District, but in view
Of the number of complaints he ha,
received it seemed there's some
thing wrong somewhere"
He also explained that Mr.. Rossi
ter was one of his constituents il
Baltimore some years ago. :
Mr.. Rossiter, Mr. Kennedy told tn
committee, has conducted his busi
ness in Washington lin a prope
manner" and there had been NJ
complaints against his estab
ment, but in view of split vote OF
the A. B. c. Board his liquor ncens
uyoc ,,ot ro,,ouyoI
Board Called Arbitrary.
Subsequently Mr. Kennedy de
clared Mr.. Lodge had made it hi
business to 60 to the Interior De
partment and have protest mad
in the case of an applicant for /;
liquor license who wanted to opel
an on-sale establishment near tn
Riverside Stadium
Il was told by reputable attor
ney this morning he could furnish
me with information about 100 othe
cases in which the board has beer
arbitrary" he declared.
Mr.. Lodge told the committee h.
opposed renewing the Rossiter Ii
cense and Mrs. Mason had voted t,
grant it, but that the third membe
of the board at that time, the lat
Isaac Cans, did not vote.
Under questioning, Mr.. Lodge ex
planned his chief objection to votin
for renewal of the Rossiter licens
was a change of sentiment in tn
neighborhood against the granting
of the license since its renewal ,
year ago. He admitted there hat
,(See A. B. c. BOARD, Page ABB