Evening star., 1944-04-25
House Members
AssailDistrict
ABC Board
Charge Loxness in
Law Enforcement
At Budget Hearing
BY DON S. WARREN.

3VASAA6SAo VA UAAN L1AIOliOQC OCN'
erage Control Board were criticized
roundly by two members of Con.
gress today, during executive hear.
ings on the Districts 1945 budget
for their alleged failure to invoke
strict enforcement of the Districts
liquor law.
The complaints were made to the
House District Appropriations Sub.
committee by Representative Coch.
ran, Democrat, of Missouri, who has
protested to the House several times
about 'lax" attitudes on the par
of ABC Board members, and Repre-.
sentative Dworshak, Republican, O.
Idaho, a member of the subcom.
mittee.
The charges developed, it was
said, over proposals by the Com
missioners and ABC Board for funds
for the employment of seven more
inspectors for the ABC Board. The
question was raised of whether the
ABC Board indirectly and unwit-
tingly had contributed to juvenile
delinquency in the District, because
it did not "crack down" hard
enough on liquor law violators.
Part of the debate boiled over
into the corridor after the commit
tee session ended, as Mr.. Dworshak
protested to william P. Meredith
ABC Board member, that another
board member, Mrs. Agnes K. Ma
son, should not make statements she
could not support with facts and
figures.
Agree on Aims.
Chairman Coffee of the subcom.
mittee told reporters later the Dis
trict officials had agreed enforce
ment should be more rigid" but
that the defense offered by Mrs
Mason, the board member and Dis.
trict Commissioner Guy Mason
was that they needed more inspec-
tors in order to make more and bet
ter cases against violators.
Mr.. Cochran is said to have pro.
tested the board has done little tt
stamp out the practice of large
shipments of Washington's Liquor
supplies being sent to other juris-
dictions and that the ABC Boarc
has failed to revoke anywhere neal
enough licenses for violations.
Chairman Coffee said the senti.
ment of the subcommittee wa:
there is room for improvement.
Mr.. Cochran is said to have ap-
proved the employment of addi.
tional inspectors provided the ABC
Board would give assurances II
would inforce the law more rigidly
The subcommittee was told BY
Mrs. Mason that she believed there
was no increase in juvenile delin'
querlcy in washington it the mum.
Der Of cases were considered in re.
lation to the increase in population
Police Reports Cited.
In reply to Mrs. Mason, with spe.
cial reference to sale of liquor tt
minors, Mr.. Dworshak told q grour
IN the corridor "this subcommittee
does not want hallucinations-it
wants facts to support the conten.
tions, not prejudices." He addee
that police reports on juvenile ar.
rests for drunkenness included II
the D'Alesandro House District Sub
committee report indicated a rise IL
juvenile delinquency.
Proposals for lquidating the re
mainder of the District Government
debt and creation of postwar build
ing fund Of $4,000, 900 were advance,
by the Commissioners before the AL
coholic Beverage Control Boar.
members testified.
Since the critical material short
age has virtually blocked all per
manent Capital improvements i,
the past three years, the city head
argued this is a good time to wip,
out the rest of the debt with pay
ments Of more than $4,8S3, 900, an,
to set up the special investmen
fund for later improvements.
Larger Plan Discussed.
The special $3,000,oOo fund, To-
use as soon as priorities permit
would be, however, but a part Of .
much larger postwar building pro
gram, under plans discussed befor,
the subcommittee.
At the opening session yesterday
1t was reported, postwar highway
and bridge plans, costing $4,000 ,00(
to $20,000,000 were discussed b,
Engineer Commissioner Kutz ant
Highway Director H. C. Whitehurst
The subcommittee yesterday aft
ernoon heard justifications of tn,
budget for seven municipal Offices
Including the Board of Tax Appeals
the assessor, collector, auditor ant
purchasing officer.