Evening star., 1940-03-04

Ihe AlcOn0uc Beverage COntrOt
Act and its administration consti-
tute perfect example of liberal
law broadened by liberal admins
tration and lax enforcement.
Strict administrative policies and
enforcement are the usual accom-
paniments of liberal laws. Presi-
dent Roosevelt once said that If you
have a loosely drawn law you should
have strong board to administer
it, whereas If law was carefully
drawn it matters little as to the
capabilities of those charged with
its administration.
Concededly the District act rates
as a relatively good law. as liquor
control laws 60. When q model of
liberality is desired it can and has
qualified as such for several other
States. The extent of its nberality,
however. has raised the question
with a considerable body Of public
opinion here as to the wisdom or
suitability of 50 liberal a law in
Washington.
Attorneys Opinions.
A liberal law may not be bad Of
itself If it is tempered with strict
administration and enforcement.
Parapharsing President Roosevelt
on the effect of loose fiscal policies
on liberal governments, it also may
be said that liberal liquor laws are
wrecked on the rocks of loose ad-
ministration and enforcement.
Expert opinion among liquor law
years of national experience is that
the District of Columbia law is .
good control law. Some liquor law
yers whose practice is local admit
that the statute is broad and should
call for rigid enforcement. They
hold, too, that enforcement under
the Police Departments liquor squad
Of II men and the A. B. c. Boards
two-man staff of inspectors Is rigid
enough. Other local liquor attor-
neys say the law is difficult to en-
force because it is 50 broad.
Responsible spokesmen for whole
sale and retail elements in the
liquor trade assert there are not too
many liquor outlets here, that the
present number should not be re-
duced, but that the A. B. c. Board
should tighten up its policies Of
issuing and transferring licenses.
Police Officers Dissent.
The law is too broad and as a
result too difficult to enforce, in
the opinion Of police officials. They
allege the conditions existing today
are in some ways as bad as those
prevailing in the days of the old
time saloon. This Is particularly
the case, it is said, as to young
people. The point emphasized is
that alcoholic beverages are too
freely available. The present sys-
tenn is especially attuned to bring
young people in contact with liquor
in the places normally frequented
by them. According to this view
the saloon of today Is worse than
the saloon of yesterday.
It should be stated here that hay-
ing liquor freely available was one
Of the objectives sought by those
who framed the act.
According to Commissioner George
e. Allen, "the philosophy Of the
law" when it was written was that
| there should be no return OF the old
saloon. The thought underlying
this theory, Commissioner Allen ex-
planned, was to preclude the return
of prohibition in the District. They
had very definite ideas about that,
he said.
Achieved its Purpose.
The law has achieved the pur-
poses sought by its trainers, in the
opinion Of Commissioner Allen. This
was qualified with the mention that
such was the case upon realizing
that all laws are the result Of COM
promise, and taking human frailties
into account" Admitting that
there are possibly "a great many
features which ought to be cor
rected," Commissioner Allen ex-
pressed the opinion that the A. B. G.
Board has done a good job. Belief
also was expressed by Mr.. Allen
that the law should be strongly
enforced.
Commissioner Aliens views are OF
interest since It y through hin