Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1953-03-17
Bill 10 Continue
Liquor License
Freeze Drafted
Legislators Approve
PIun for Same CeiIino
In Prince Georges
BY Gene Goodwin
Stur Stoff CORRESPONDENT

freeze on the number of liquor
licenses that can be issued in
Prince Georges County will be
continued in the new county
liquor bill being drafted at the
Maryland General Assembly.
That was agreed upon last
night by the Prince Georges
legislators, who also voted to
write into the new law pro-
visions:
/. Banning any additional
tavernS in the county, but CIV
ing the County Liquor Board
discretion to determine whether
a tavern license will be reissued
after it has been abandoned or
revoked.
2. Prohibiting home delivery
OF any beer, wine or liquor.
3. Permitting transfer of a
license only within the election
precinct in which it is located.
4. Making it mandatory that
a license be revoked whenever
the license is convicted of two
liquor law violations in a Swear
period.
S. Prohibiting all future liquor
spots within 1000 feet of any
church or school, except private
cooperative nursery schools.
County Owned Stores Out.
One provision which will not
be in the bill, the six-member
House delegation and Senator
John R. Fletcher, Republican,
decided, is one seeking gradual
establishment of county-owned
liquor stores in Prince Georges.
Delegate William R. Hughes,
Republican, made the proposal.
He suggested that as each liquor
license is turned in, it be taken
out of circulation. Then as the
need for new liquor stores is
created, county dispensaries
would be set up instead of
private stores.
Senator Fletcher voiced the
sentiments of some of the dele
gates when he told Mr.. Hughes
he opposed the dispensary sys-
tenn because he doesn't approve
"of the government going into
the liquor business or any other
business"
After his fellow lawmakers re-
jected his idea. Mr.. Hughes de-
clared:
20. K. I'll put in separate
bill"
The present ceiling Of 352
liquor licenses would be raised
to $50. under the bill explained
to the legislators last night by
Ernest A. Loveless. jr., attor-
ney for the liquor board.
Same Ceiling to Remain.
The ceiling clause would stip-
ulate, however, that the present
number of tavern licenses (class
B beer, wine and liquor shall
be the legal limit. The legisla-
tors insisted upon this proviso to
prevent establishment of any
more Joints and dives" in the
county.
They also feel the provision
calling for automatic revocation
Of a license after two convic-
tons to five years will help clean
up or eliminate some of the pres
ent olives"
The prohibition against home
delivery of alcoholic beverages
was suggested by Delegate Perry
0. Wilkinson, Democrat. He
said he knew of cases where
teen-agers have ordered liquor
and beer sent to their homes
while their parents were away.
Delegate j. Frank Lillard, jr.,
Republican, objected to exempt
ing private cooperative nurseries
from the provision banning
liquor spots closer than 1000 feet
from a church or school.
Delegate Albert R. Hassall,
Republican, contended, however,
that allowing the nurseries to
affect location of liquor spots
would be a case of zone private
business putting a restriction on
another private business.
Adoption Measure Passed.
In other actions last night,
the House passed a bill revising
the Prince George County adop-
ton law to remove the right Of
natural parents to go to court
and demand to learn the iden-
tity of the parents who adopted
their child.
The granting Of this right to
natural parents in Prince
Georges has caused many adop-
ton agencies to refuse to place
infants in the county.
Delegate Gilbert Guide, Repub-
lican, of Montgomery County,
introduced a bill to require that
farmers be reimbursed by the
State for the death of an animal
or damage to any farm equip
ment caused by alcoholic bever-
age containers. The funds would
come from the State alcoholic
beverages tax.
Mr.. Guide said his bill is
aimed chiefly at the increase in
beer bottles appearing along
roadsides and fields since the
advent Of the "throw-away" bot
tie, for which no deposit is re-
quired.