Evening star., 1941-03-27
2House Leaders
Back 'Stand-Up'
Drinking Plan
Randolph, Eberhorter
Also Favor Sales
To z AM. Sunday

Reaction followed swiftly at the
Capitol today to proposed changes
In the District liquor control ap-
proved by the Commissioners after
an all-day session yesterday.
Two of four changes which would
require congressional action to
amend the District Alcohol Beverage
Control Act were approved by Rep
resentative Randolph of West Vir-
ginia, chairman Of the House District
Committee, and Representative
Eberharter of Pennsylvania, who
conducted an investigation of the
city's liquor situation last year.
The two amendments they ap-
proved would permit "stand-up
drinking" at licensed bars and eX-
tend the Saturday night closing
hour at 2 a m. Sunday.
Most of the % proposed changes
would simply be regulations by the
Commissioners and would both lib
eralize and tighten present admin
istration.
Reasonably Sure of Adoption.
The two changes approved by
the Congress members today were
recommended in the report made
last year by Representative Eber-
harter. Both Chairman Randolph
and Mr.. Eberharter pledged that
prompt consideration would be
given to all four proposed changes
in legislation and were reasonably
certain of adoption.
Representative Eberharter said
his subcommittee recommended pro-
vision for stand-up drinking and Il
think 1t very important"
Chairman Randolph, while pro-
testing that he had never been in
bar in his life and so is not quail
fed personally to discuss the ques-
tion of standup drinking, gave an
emphatic approval to both of these
proposed changes, saying he would
give his full support to the recon-
mendations of the District Commits
sioners that were advocated in the
Eberharter report. He added: Il
think the findings of the Eber-
harter subcommittee were sound"
Two Other Changes Studied.
Mr.. Eberharter said he is not yet
ready to approve two other changes
the District Commissioners will ask
Congress to make. These are pro-
posals which would require one years
residence to obtain a liquor license
and the issuance of permits for one
day sale of beer and light wines at
picnics and similar outings He said
he believed a three-year residence
in the District should be required
as the one-year provision was not
in his opinion stringent enough"
He said he would take more time
to study the proposal.
There is no serious objection to
1t if such permits are issued to
legitimate groups, but every safe
guard must be set up to keep from
degenerating into a business or
racket" he declared.
Corporation Counsel Richmond B.
Keech has been directed to draw up
the necessary legislation covering
four amendments to the act.
The Commissioners rejected sug-
geStions for price control and for
q ban on advertising of prices.
Packaged Stores Affected.
Among new regulations adopted
were rules to require package goods
stores to close at 10 pm. except on
Saturdays. when the stores may stay
open until midnight. Packaged
goods stores will still be closed on
Sundays. This proposed change, as
Is the case with many others, is to
be placed in final form by the cor
poration counsel. He said stores
may be permitted to stay open later
than 10 pm. on nights before holi-
DAYS.
The city heads also ruled that
handbills and circulars may not
hereafter be distributed to the door,
steps of Washington residents, al
though they refused to ban liquor
advertising otherwise.
AS part of the change of rules on
hours the city heads ordered a new
regulation which would forbid sale
of beer and light wines on Sundays
until l pm. Such sales now are
permitted beginning at am. AS a
trade for the plan to permit drinking
from midnight Saturdays to 2 am.
Sundays the Commissioners decided
their regulations should be amended
TO forbid beverage sales from Sum-
day midnight to am. Monday, now
permitted. Sales then would begin at
8 am. Monday.
Minimum Price" Banned.
A new proposal, offered by the
Alcoholic Beverage Control Board
yesterday and adopted by the city
heads as a new regulation, will for
bid on-sale licensees from charg-
ing minimum prices for drinks re-
gardless of the number Of drinks
purchased. This does not apply to
convert charges. The Commissioners
said they believed this rule would
be in the interest of temperance
since, under the present practice in
some places, it appeared to them
there was temptation to take an
other drink if it came under the
minimum charge.
In the interest of protecting chill
dren of impressionable age from the
influence of seeing liquor sales too
close at hand at places they regu-
larly frequent, the Commissioners
approved a regulation which would
forbid the granting of new licenses
TO places within 400 feet-measured
from main entrance to main en-
trance-from churches and schools
Two members of the A. B. C. Board
Chairman Thomas E. Lodge and
William P. Meredith, had sug-
gested a 6OO-foot rule.
The proposal as it came from
the A. B. C.. Board would have
forbidden any new license to a
new place within 600 feet of any
public, private or parochial school,
any college, university, church, play
ground, public library or licensed
hospital, but the Commissioners
ruled that their 400-foot plan
should not apply to hospitals, play
grounds or libraries.
The Commissioners action on
these and other PROPOSALS came