Evening star., 1953-03-19
NedrbyCounties
De|eted From
Liquor Bill
House Votes to
leuVe Control
With Boards
By Gene Goodwin
StaF SfcH Correspondent


Maryland House last night ac-
cepted amendments exempting
Montgomery and Prince Georges
from a bill to bar liquor and
beer shops whenever a majority
OF the property owners in the
direct vicinity recorded objec-
tions.
Delegates from the two coun-
ties contended they believe their
respective liquor boards should
continue to have complete dis
cretion in determining where
liquor licenses are to be located.
Garrett and Allegany Counties
also were exempted from the
measure under the amendment.
A representative from Hartford
also expressed a desire to ex-
clude his county from the bill,
and so it was agreed to hold it
over until Monday night to give
that county and others a chance
to prepare amendments.
The measure, introduced by
Delegate A. Gordon Boone, Dem
ocrat, Of Baltimore County re-
ceived a favorable report from
the House Alcoholic Beverages
Committee yesterday and was
brought to the House floor last
night.
Could Block Licenses.
The bill would prohibit alco-
holic beverage licenses in incor-
porated communities whenever a
majority of property owners
within 800 feet objected. In ag-
ricultural areas, the majority of
property owners within half-a-
mile radius could block the liz
cense. In all other areas, the
radius would be 400 feet.
Meanwhile, Montgomery Coun-
ty legislators were urged to
amend the county's tight LIQUOR
laws to allow sale of mixed drinks
in certain restaurants, hotels and
veteran and fraternal clubs in
the Bethesda and Silver Spring
areas.
A delegation Of restaurant
owners and representatives of
veteran and fraternal organiza-
tions requested the delegation to
introduce a bill they had pre-
pared, calling for a referendum
in the 7th and 18th election dis
trictS Except Takoma Park and
Kensington) on allowing sale Of
mixed drinks.
LOfStrand Withheld Bill.
It was substantially the same
bill that Senator Anders r.
Lofstrand. jr., Republican Of
Montgomery said he would in
troduce two weeks ago. The
Senator, however, has never in
troduced the measure, and last
night he said he didn't intend
to. His announcement to the
press that he was going to intro
duce such a bill was one of the
reasons the county Republican
State Central Committee called
the Senator and six Delegates to
a showdown meeting a week ago
Sunday.
The Delegates yesterday also
gave the proposal cold shoul-
der, j. Douglas Bradshaw, chair
man Of theall-Republican dele
cation, warned that any attempt
to revise the present laws would
result in demand for a county,
wide referendum to vote on
drying up the county entirely.
At present. only three Mont
gomery restaurants - Normandy
Farms, Olney Inn and Anglers
Inn-and about a dozen country
clubs are allowed to sell LIQUOR
by the glass.
Delegate Robert A. Wallace
said he has always opposed
piecemeal amendments to the
county liquor law. If anything
is done, he said, the whole law
should be rewritten. That, of
course, could not be done until
the next legislative session in
1855.
The delegation was led by
John Emory, owner of the Stone
House, at Four Corners,
Liquor Bill Draws Protest.
Another liquor bill. to allow
the Rose Haven Yacht Club to
sell liquor, even though it is in a
dry district of Anne Arundel
County, was stoutly opposed by
a delegation of about sixty per-
sons before the House Alcoholic
Beverages Committee yesterday.
Joseph E. Rose, owner Of the
club, was the only spokesman
for the measure. He was able
to push through a similar bill
in 1851, but it was vetoed by the
Governor.
Those protesting, including
five Methodist ministers, charged
the bill is "clasS legislation"
Many of them strongly ques-
toned the ethics of delegates
from outside Anne Arundel
County in introducing the bill.
The sponsors are Delegates
Stief, Anne Arundel; HaSsall,
Prince Georges: Duke. st. Marys;
Quade and Jenkins, Charles
County, and Hall and Hance.
Calvert County.
1--WE make laws for the whole
State" countered Delegate Ed
ward w. Dabrowski, Democrat,
of Baltimore.
The yacht club is located on
Chesapeake Bay in the 9th dis
trict of Anne Arundel County.
which went dry (beer and wine
only in the election last year.
It is only about half a mile over
the Calvert County line, where
liquor sales are allowed.
Young Democrats Meet