Evening star., 1941-04-25
0'Conor Weighs
Montgomery
Beer Measure
Opponents Request
Veto; Hearings on
Other Bills PutOff

Gov. O'Conor today had under
consideration requests by a group
asking a veto of Montgomery Coun-
tvs bill to make wholesale beer
distribution monopoly of the
Liquor Control Board, which al
ready has control of liquor sales in
the county.
After a hearing at which oppo-
nents of the measure, passed at
the last legislative session, described
1t as a step toward socialism,
Gov. O'Conor declined to say when
he would act.
Hearings scheduled yesterday on
the anti-SabOtage bill and the Bal
timore- Washington $30,000000 su-
per highway had to be postponed
until Tuesday, because hearings on
Is other bills took up more than
seven hours.
Labor and farm organizations
claShed in the most heated of the
hearings yesterday, that on bill to
prohibit malicious interference with
production, transportation, delivery,
acceptance or distribution of perish
able food products in intra-State
commerce.
Beer Bill Held Unjust.
Opponents of the Montgomery
beer bill, whose spokesman was
James Pugh, said it would be "un-
fair and unjust for the county to
'confscate" the business of about
half dozen county beer wholesalers.
They pointed out that the Brook
ings Institutions report advocated
that the county Liquor Control
Board be abolished.
Delegate James w. Gill, Demo-
crat, of Montgomery, one of the pro-
ponents, asserted:
1T is not the will of the people of
Montgomery County that the bill
be vetoed"
He said that if the measure be-
came law the county Liquor Control
Boards profit would be increased by
about $4,000 year.
Opponents said that if the county
Liquor Control Board were given a
monopoly over beer sales they didn't
believe county taxes would be re-
duced.
County Government Hit.
Arthur j. Hillen of Bethesda, an
opponent, asserted:
We don't think the arm OF the
county government should be ex-
tended when the county government
has been so soundly criticized by
the Brookings Institution report.
1T is unjust to conf1scate the
business of private citizens. 1t is a
step toward socialism. We don't
know if the county will attempt to
confiscate other businesses"
Labor organizations asked that
the food transportation measure be
vetoed, asserting there was no need
for such legislation, that it would
harm laborS rights and that its
terms might be miSconstrued.
Contending the measure took away
none of labor'S rights and was aimed
at saboteurs, agriculturists said farm
erS wanted assurance that the free
flow of food products would not be
interrupted.
Held HObble on Unions.
att would have been better for the
Legislature to have passed law pro-
hibiting labor unions than to come
In the back door and say labor Or
ganizations can organize but that
they can't make use of the organiza-
ton" said Senator Robert B. Kim
BILE, Republican, of Allegany, oppos-
ing the bill
There is nothing in this bill to
hurt any one who has the Nations
interest at heart" replied Delegate
John Clark, Democrat, of Hartford,
one of the sponsors of the meas
ure
Among other bills on which hear
ingS were held were measures to
license coin machines showing mo-
ton pictures and increase license
fees for motions picture films; ex-
empt from taxation used automo-
biles taken in trades by dealers; reg
ulate the business of retail INSTALL
ment sales and license finance COM
panies involved in such business.