Evening star., 1951-03-29
Showdown Fight.
On Montgomery
Beer Bill Slated
I County Delegation
| Attacks Measure
| On Senote Floor
By J. B. Zotmon
Stoy stoff Correspondenf

publican delegation bitterly at
tackled the measure as outrageous
and disgusting.
At the same time, the delega-
ton kept a wary eye open for pos
sible political shenanigans as a
result of the House Ways and
Means Committees. sudden re-
yersal of its unfavorable action on
a bill to give the county council
practically unlimited taxing pow
ers.
On Tuesday, the committee
voted unanimously to kill the bill.
Yesterday, however, the group
adopted a favorable report but
agreed to hold the measure IN
committee.
Delegation members, who OPP
pose the bill in its present form.
expressed the belief the Demo-
cratic majority may use the meas
lure as a trading factor in dealing
with other Montgomery legisla-
| ton.
Held for Action Today.
The verbal battle against the
beer bill, sponsored by Democratic
State Controller j. Millard Tawes,
started in the Senate yesterday
afternoon, when the Judiciary
COMMITTEE sent the measure to
the floor with an unfavorable re-
port. Action was postponed, how
ever, until today.
A few hours later. the House
Alcoholic Beverage Control Com
mittee met in closed session and
adopted a favorable report on an
Identical bill. Chairman Upshur
C. Stevenson, Democrat, OF Tai
Ibot County, repeatedly said he
had orders from upstate to bring
the measure out.
When the report hit the House
floor last night, Montgomery Dele
gate Anders r. Lofstrand. jr..
House minority leader, Immediate
ly moved to postpone considers
/ ton to tonight.
In rapid succession, the House
defeated that motion and then
adopted the favorable report.
/ Referendum Proposed.
/ Mr.. Lofstrand then presented q
proposed amendment. providing
for a county referendum in No
vember, and asked that the bill
be held up a day under a House
lIrule so that mimeographed copies
of the amendment could be sub
United to all the delegates.
i This brought a counter move
, from delegate Jerome Robinson,
Democrat, of Baltimore City, to
suspend the rule.
!, It was then that Montgomery
delegates leaped to their feet to
brand the measure as outrageous
and disgusting.
Mrs. Leona M. Rush, the lone
woman member of the delegation.
said: Passage of the bill takes
away $234,ooO in revenue from
my county"
This isn't going to sell any more
beer in Montgomery County" she
declared in a voice trembling with
emotion. People are still going
to buy beer in Washington be-
cause it is cheaper there"
Montgomery Delegate Robert A..
Wallace then warned: IF this
House continues to pursue this
kind of discriminatory stamped
ing, and it is a part of the demo-
cratic way as fostered by a Demo-
cratic majority, I am confident
there will be fewer and fewer
Democrats, which will be my only
consolation.
Right to Judge Challenged.
"You people are being led by
your nose, and I resent your
thoughtless and un-democratic
: action. You have no right to be-
come the judge of good and
bad legislation for Montgomery
County"
Another Montgomery delegate,
j. PAUL. Marshall, recalled that
Warren Browning, chairman of
the county's Democratic State
Central Committee. had predicted
at hearing on the bill before
the Senate Judiciary Committee
last week that, if the measure
were passed, it would wipe out the
Democratic Party in Montgomery
County.
| Also speaking against the bill
were MIR. Lofstrand, who appealed
to the delegates not to put some
thing in Montgomery County that
it doesn't want and Delegation
Chairman j. Douglas Bradshaw.
who asked the delegates to ex-
anime their conScienceS in voting
on the bill.
In a roll-call vote, Mr.. Robin
sons motion to suspend the rule
was defeated, with 50 voting in
favor of the motion and 40
against. A two-thirds majority
of 50 votes is needed to suspend
any House rule.
/ Mr.. Bradshaw later told re-
porters that Eugene c. Raney.
Silver Spring beer distributor, was
a prime instigator of the measure.
"He seeks to enter the poten-
TALLY rich wholesale beer market
of Montgomery County at the ex-
pense of the taxpayers" Mr..
Bradshaw charged.
Hyde Lashes Tawes.
Earlier, in the Senate debate
on the bill, Montgomery Senator
Dewitt S. Hyde told the members
they should be ashamed of them
selves for even considering such
a measure.
In what was believed the most
severe tongue lashing delivered
on the Senate floor during the
present session, Senator Hyde at
tackled Mr.. Tawes' sponsorship of
the bill as disgraceful.
HE left the Judiciary Commit.
| tee hearing last week like a whip