New Beer Bill Faces Fight to Make Sunday Sales Optional

Bleakly Insists Each Local Community Should Make Decision

System Too Costly, Assemblyman Says

Measure Will Not Go to Legislature Monday as Scheduled

A bitter fight impends over at least two provisions of the permanent state beer control bill which is being whipped into final shape for introduction in the Legislature. It will not be introduced Monday night, as had been planned.

The state beer commission, headed by Senate President Emerson L. Richards, of Atlantic, was scheduled to meet Monday morning to complete final draft for presentation before the Legislature at the night session.

It has been discovered, however, that several legal questions first must be decided by Attorney General William A. Stevens, and the meeting of the commission was postponed to Tuesday. If the Legislature continues in session that night, it is possible the measure may then be presented.

Bleakly Has Objections

But Assemblyman F. Stanley Bleakly, of Camden, a member of the commission, announced last night he intended to make a strong fight to revise the measure in at least two respects.

He objects strenuously to the proposed costly set-up of the excise commissions and to the loss of a local option provision in the measure.

"The bill is top-heavy with jobs," Bleakly said. "The state excise commission of four members and the 21 county advisory boards of two members each would have at their disposal more than 125 jobs for various clerical and investigating workers.

"It would cost the state $20,000 a month to operate under this plan, and we could use that money to much better advantage.

"With the patronage possible from this bill, anyone could be elected governor," Bleakly said, significantly. Richards, who is sponsoring the measure, seeks the Republican gubernatorial nomination.

Insists on Home Rule

"The home rule features also must be changed. As now proposed, 'municipal' rulers would recommend to the county excise board the applicants for licenses. Then the county board would investigate and recommend those favored to the state board, which would issue the licenses. Though there is a semblance of home rule here, the bill gives municipal authorities no power to revoke licenses, which must be done by the state board. The opportunity for politics in that feature is evident.

"Then the bill permits Sunday selling in all municipalities of the state. Individual municipalities which may not want beer on Sundays in their limits, would have no say in the matter. That is wrong.

"The bill I sponsored last week permitted local rulers, by resolution, to permit Sunday sales, and five percent of the voters in each municipality could force a referendum to decide the question. That would give each municipality home rule and that's what I intend to fight for.

"It seems inconsistent to me that the Legislature went to such great trouble at the beginning of the session to give municipalities more home rule by repealing mandatory legislation and then comes to the end of the session and does exactly the reverse."