Evening star., 1949-08-04
Beverage Group
Head Tells Of
Threats on Life
Guurino Testifies
For Bill to Extend
Drinking Hours
BY Harold B. Rogers

Philip Guarino, president of the
Restaurant Beverage Association
of Washington, today told House
subcommittee his life had been
threatened both by mail and by
telephone because he favors legal
extension OF closing hours for
liquor sales here from midnight
Saturday to 2 am. Sunday.
Appearing. before the Judiciary
subcommittee of the House Dis
trict Committee in support of a
bill to extend the hours, the wit
ness said later closing would give
the "law-abiding, tax-paying, liz
cenSe -holding establishment" the
opportunity to take from after
hours bottle clubs much OF the
trade which has allowed them to
exist.
The threats came. he said, after
he previously had testified for the
same legislation. A mans voice
on the telephone one night, Mr..
Guarino said, asked him how he
would like to have his body
pumped full of lead and be found
floating in the Potomac River.
Submits Amendment.
Shortly thereafter, Representa-
tive Klein, Democrat, of New York.
author of the bill, declared, I'm
not afraid of having my body
floating in the river" Mr.. Klein
then submitted an amendment to
his bill which would prohibit the
after-hours sale of liquor from
package stores.
The after bill was one Of
three on which testimony was
heard today by the subcommittee,
presided over today by Chairman
of the House District
Committee.
Chairman Mcmillan announced
the committee would take the
three bills under consideration at
an executive session later.
Testimony also was heard on a
bill which would restrict sale OF
beer to retailers to cash on de-
livery.
Several Witnesses Heard.
The bottle clubs were discussed
by several witnesses during the
hearing on the Klein bill. Mr..
Klein said he had asked the super
intendent of police here to send
him list of such bottle clubs.
Corporation Counsel Vernon E.
West told Mr.. Klein bottle clubs
cannot sell liquor without license
but he understood club members
bring in liquor for storage in
lockers to be available after hours.
Mr.. West said he was now work.
ing on proposed legislation for
licensing places where liquor is
consumed If food is sold on the
premises" He told reporters later
this proposal would not be ready
to submit to the Commissioners or
Congress until the next session Of
Congress.
Testifying for extension of legal
liquor sale hours were Bourbon
Dawes, executive secretary of the
Hotel Association of Washington:
Peter Borras. chairman of the
Alcoholic Beverage Control Com
mittee of the Restaurant Associs-
ton and Mrs. Franklin G. Sort
we'll of the Metropolis View
Citizens Association.
Oppose Legislation.
Opposing the c. o. D. beer legis-
lation were Commissioner Guy
Mason; Alan Payne, chairman Of
the ABC Board, and Hilliard
Schulberg, executive director of
the Washington Retail Liquor
Dealers Association, Inc.
Favoring the measure were
Representative Forand, Democrat.
of Rhode Island; Mr.. Dawes for
the hotel association, and George
Hooker, representing the brewing
in Maryland, Virginia
and the District.
A bill to permit chain stores to
sell beer at each of their outlets
was briefly considered and was
favored by the District Commits
sioners and by Attorney Myron G..
Ehrlich on behalf of the chain
stores.