Evening star., 1953-12-18
Proposed Changes
In ABC Law Would
Ease Wine Curbs
By the Associutsd Press


RICHMOND, Va, Dec. ia
legislative commission today
came up with a host of proposed
changes for liberalizing Vir-
ginia's Alcoholic Beverage Con-
troll system. but turned thumbs
down on whisky by the drink
sales.
The 1O-member group sug-
gested that hotels and restau-
rants be allowed to sell wine with
an alcoholic content of more
than IA per cent for on-premises
consumption with meals.
1t also proposed in a 44-page
report that certain stores be is
sued retail licenses to sell such
wire off-premises.
At present, wine with an alco-
holic count of more than IA per
cent may be obtained only in
State-operated ABC stores.
The commission headed by
Delegate Duval Radford of Bed
ford stopped short of recon-
mending whisky-by- -the-drink, a
proposal that has popped up reg
ularly in the Legislature only to
be lust as regularly defeated.
From the investigations of
the commission" said the report,
1T is apparent that a major
ity of the people are satisfied
with the present limitation on
sales by the drink, recognizing
that long step in either direc-
tion might totally destroy what
has been so carefully built up
over a period of almost 20 years"
Half Pints Suggested.
The group did suggest that
the ABC board experiment with
the sale of half-pints of whisky
in State stores. It suggested
this as a possible answer to the
argument that a person often
becomes drunk because he can't
buy anything less than a pint
The commission recommended
that localities share in the prof
its of wine and 80 per cent beer
sales just as they share in the
profits from whisky. 1t advo-
Gated a distribution of wine and
beer profits on the same basis as
prevails with the whisky funds
that is. the State keeping one
third and the localities getting
the remaining two-thirds.
The Commission praised Vir-
ginia's ABC system as "the best
it had found anywhere, but ex-
pressed the view the ABS Board
should adopt a more flexible
policy and be willing to expert
ment more to provide an even
better system.
1t said the boards decision in
cases which come before il
should be mandatory and not
subject to appeals to courts.
Other recommendations,
The commission also made
these other major recommend
dations:
l The board should study the
effect of television which has
weakened" control over liquor
advertising.
z. Beer sales by grocery stores
should be permitted to continue
3. ABC stores should stay open
late in some areas as a further
effort to combat bootlegging.
4. The State should continue
and enlarge its facilities for the
treatment of alcoholics.
5. Private clubs should be per-
mitted to keep contemporaries
liquor bought by members.
6. The law should make q
clearer distinction between boot
leggers and honest citizens
who are caught with slightly
more than a gallon of whisky
when entering the State. Al
present person who brings in
more than a gallon, although
unwittingly, may have his cal
conf1scated.
Z. The law should be amended
so that finding mash at a still
constitutes conclusive evidence
of moodshining.
s. Virginia officers should be
given the same power possessed
by Federal officers to destroy
stills when it is not feasible to
salvage the equipment.