Evening star., 1941-03-06
School Board
AdoptsPoIicyo on
Liquor Protests
New Evidence Proviso
On Renewals Accepted
After BuIIou Criticism

Vii NSiiS w0iS N~@S peSS
After BuIIou Criticism
The Board of Education yester-
day adopted four rules of policy
governing its procedure in protest
ing renewals of liquor licenses, but
not before Supt. Frank w. Ballou
had sharply criticized the Alcoholic
Beverage Control Board and entered
into spirited argument with several
members of the school board over
the merits of the proposed regula-
tionS.
The plan for dealing with re-
newals was the outgrowth of con-
ference with the A. B. G. Board
several weeks ago. A procedure for
handling new license applications
was successfully worked out in a
similar conference last year.
DR.. BallouS objection was to a
provision that protests against re-
newals by school authorities should
be based on new information or any
evidence of violation of the law
rather than as a routine course of
procedure merely because protest
was filed at the time the origina.
application was made"
Sees Moral Issue.
'T insist there is a moral ques-
ton involved in liquor licenses in
the vicinity of schools" he declared
THE A. B. C. Board goes only on
whether there has been technical
violation of the law"
Objecting to having to produce
evidence of violation or new evil
dence before protesting a renewal
of a license originally opposed by
the school board, DIR. Ballou said
he had never assumed it was the job
of the school officials to become de-
teCtiVeS.
Board members took issue with
the superintendent, indicating that
the language of the plan was to in
sure they had good case based on
evidence when they made protest.
Mrs. Henry Grattan Doyle, presi-
dent of the board, said that some of
the reports sent forward by school
officials opposing licenses were on
extremely f1imSy grounds"
The position of the liquor board,
as outlined by several of the school
board members, was that it could
not withdraw a license previously
granted where the applicant had
been adhering to the law and regu-
lations faithfully, on the basis of a
general protest. AS lawyer members
of the board explained, when an
original application for license was
granted over the protest of the
school board, the liquor board con-
sidered that opposition to renewal
should be based on additional evi-
dence.
To Protest If Warranted.
Board members made It clear that
they could and would enter protest
against the renewals where the evi-
dence was produced to warrant it.
The new plan provides:
/. Renewals to be protested by
the board should be protested in
october or soon after the notices
are given to the public of the appli-
cation for renewal, rather than at
the end of the license year. AS a
general rule, protests against re-
rewals should be based on new in
formation or any evidence of viola
ton, rather than as routine course
of procedure merely because protest
was made at the time of the orig
inal application.
2. The practice of formal action
by the board on licenses will be con-
tinued, both for new licenses and
renewals.
8. Where a violation of the law
is detected in an establishment near
a school the violation will be re-
ported to the A. B. c. Board and
will be Incorporated in any subse-
quent protest against the license.
4. Pupils will be instructed that
minors patronizing liquor establish
ments are subject to penalty as well
as the proprietors.
Continuing the conference tech
nique with District officials, it was
indicated the board members might
confer with the Commissioners over
operation of the District Repair
Shop.
Delay in Work Experienced.
Since the Repair Shop does largely
school repairs, there have been sew
eral moves to place it under the
Board of Education. At the present
time, board members were told,
under rule of 1927, the Repair
Shop has received recommendations
for repairs from the schools, but has
been able to establish its own prior
ity lists. Thus many items, consid-
cred urgent by the schools, were not
attended to, it was indicated.
School officials made it clear, how
ever, that the principal problem was
lack of funds and not the operation
of the Repair Shop.
Mrs. Philip Sidney Smith, men,
ber of the board, reported new
roof is being put over the Western
High School auditorium-a project
sought by school officials for many
years.
The board also recommended that
legislation be prepared by the cor
poration counsel for repaying ST.
790.37 in overtime earned by school,
custodians working for the 25 draft
boards while they used District
schools as headquarters. A recent
ruling of the controller general held
these men could not be paid by
selective service officials because
they would then be receiving pay at
a rate of more than $4,000 from two
Federal sources.
Dates for the competitive drill this
year were set at May 5, 6 and 7 for
the white schools and June and
for the colored.