Evening star., 1953-01-14
Judge Urges
Easing Of D. {.
Liquor Laws
Sees Longer Hours
For Bars and Stores
As Curb to Rockets
By ChofIes 6. Brooks


drew j. Howard, jr., today called
for a drastic easing of the Dis
trict's liquor laws to help police
smash the city's flourishing
bootlegging racket.
Judge Howard declared:
There is something wrong with
the system when a city like
Washington is plagued by the
Illicit liquor traffic"
He called for revisions in
liquor statutes which would per-
NIT bars to remain open all
night and which would allow
liquor stores to remain open
until midnight every night.
At present package stores are
compelled to stop selling alco-
holic beverages at 9 o'clock
nightly except Saturdays and
Sundays. They may sell until
midnight Saturdays but are
closed all day Sundays.
District bars must close at 2
am. daily except Saturdays and
Sundays. The curfew for all
drinks on Saturdays is midnight.
On Sundays they must also be
closed by midnight and are not
permitted to sell any hard
liquors.
Judge Howard's suggestions
were in substantial agreement
with those Police Inspector Clar-
ence Lutz, chief of the morals
division. offered last November
as possible weapons to wipe out
bootlegging.
The inspector, however, did
not push his suggestions because
of the lack of public response.
Ban Sale to BOotleggers.
Judge Howard, however, took
note of another idea Inspector
LutZ brought forth, which would
make it illegal for whisky stores
to sell liquor to bootleggers.
It is possible, he pointed out,
for police to notify package store
proprietorS which persons are
known bootleggers. Judge How
ard praised Inspector Lutz for
doing a magnificent job" in
fighting the bootlegging trade
here. He said that since the
inspector took over the police
morals division there has been
much Improvement in the situa-
tion.
Judge Howard is currently
sitting on the Municipal Court
bench, handling cases involving
bootlegging, drunks and other
municipal regulation violations.
He pointed out that the strict
laws of the District create a de-
mand by the public and that
unless the laws are changed
there is little likelihood of the
racket being wiped out"
He emphasized that it is i'm
possible to halt the demand for
whisky late at night by closely
restricting bars and packaged
goods stores. 1t would be better,
he said, to allow them to remain
open for longer hours rather
than subject the public to illegal
sales when they are usually de-
frauded.
Other officials have pointed
out that there is no such prob
lem in cities like Baltimore where
liquor statutes are far more
liberal than in the District. The
same thing applies to most other
large cities throughout the
country.
Tours BOOtlegging Centers.
Judge Howard said that be-
cause he takes a personal in
terest in the bootlegging traffic,
which he termed "a sore spot in
the Nations Capital" he makes
his own inspection trips each
Sunday of known bootlegging
centerS.
He pointed out that some of
the worst spots in the city are
Fifth and Neal streets NV, New
Jersey avenue and N street NV.
and Portner and U streets NV.
"Only recently" the jurist re-
called, Il left my boy at Sunday
school and drove to Fifth and
Neal streets. I stopped on Fifth
street and watched.
Il saw a flourishing traffic so
I drove up to the corner. A man
stepped up to the car and asked
How many?'
Il didn't say anything. He
asked me again before he left
the car curSing. Why do you
come down here if you don't
want anything?'"