Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1890-11-10
LIQUOR LICENSES.
Applications Piling Up on the Commits
si0ners' Table.
SEVEN HUNDRED AND FIVE ALREADY REcEIvED-
THE ROUTINE THROUGH WHICH AN APPLICATION
ooEs-QUEsTIoSs on WHICH THE POLICE
ARE REQUIRED TO REPORT.

| ARE REQUIRED TO REPORT.
On q table beside District Commission
Douglass desk this morning was a stack of
neatly jacketed papers awaiting his action.
These we're applications for liquor licenses and
the accompanying documents, including the
reports made by the police. Up to date there
have been 7O5 applications fled. Many Of these
papers are now on the round through which
they have to go before they finally come
before the Commissioners for approval
Both the license clerk in the assessors
Office, Mr.. Montague; the major of police,
the police leutenants and the District
Commissioners have to give much time now to
considering the cases of liquor dealers. The
pile at MIR. Douglass side this morning were Of
cases that have gone through the mill and
needed only the Commisnoners approval or
| dlsapproval to be finally disposed OF. Mr..
! Douglass stated to STAR reporter that he
would begin the work tomorrow, taking up
first the cases in the first OF Lieut. Amlss' pre-
| cinct. He will act on all, indicating on the
jacket what his decision is
Then the papers will so to Commissioner
Ross, VINO will so over them in the same way.
! In all cases where Mr.. Ross agrees with Mr..
! Douglass the license will at once be granted or
referred, as the case may be. Where they dis
| agree the papers will be held until Col. Robert
returns to his desk and the decision will rest
with him.
| THE ROUTINE.
liquor license application has to 60 through
considerable red tape before the applican.
finally receives the bit Of blue paper that grants
him authority to sell liquor. First. the appli-
cant gets from the license clerk the blank forms
OF an application and of a petition. In his pc
titlon the applicant says and swears to the fol-
| lowing:
II do solemnly swear that am now and in
tend to be for the next license year resident
OF the District of Columbia. I am not en-
pIoyed IN any capacity under the District gov
eminent, and intend TO devote my personal at
tention wholly to the prosecution of the bust
ness for which license is now requested. /
furthermore solemnly swear that the name of
the owner OF the premises where the proposed
bar room Is to be located is - -; that
the said bar room is necessary for the accom-
notation of the public; that the petitioners
named above are the only persons pecuniarily
interested in the business to be conducted at
the above named location, and that have not
given or promised to give, nor has any person
Tor me given or promised to give, to any of the
slgners of the application hereto attached (as
required by the third paragraph Of the regula-
tlons for licensing the sale OF intoxicating
liquors in the District of Columbia. approved
by the Commissioners Of the District of Co
lumbia September l8, 1882 any reward or
compensation of any value whatsoever for the
attachment of their signature; that the license
lssutu 10 me the preceding year mas
neither been suspended nor revoked"
Accompanying his application is a blank form
for the signatures of owners and residents in
the neishborhood of the proposed bar room,
giving them permission to the establishment of
the bar or sample room at the place named
Such consent has to be obtained from ma
jority of the owners of real estate and OF the
residents keeping house on the side of the
square where Ii is desired to locate the bar
room and on the side of the square fronting
opposite the same.
THE DEPOSIT.
When this petition and the application are
prepared i'll proper form they are brought
back and flied with the license clerk. No APP
plication will be received and recorded, how
ever. until the applicant deposits with the col
lector of taxes $780, the amount of the license
tax. This IL required as an evidence OF good
faith. In the case of "a dealer already in bust
ness. In case the application is made ten days
be fore the beginning of the new license year,
November !, he can, after making his deposit,
continue business until his application is con-
sidered and disapproved. new applicant,
however. cannot open his place until his license
is granted. The license clerk keeps in q large
book a regular account of each application
which shows Just in what state the application
is Ill. When all the prelimInaries IN the
SCISSORS office have been attended to the papers
are sent to the District Commissioners.
INVESTIGATED BY THE POLICE
The Commissioners, however, do not take il
for granted that all that is said by the appli-
cants is true. They refer the papers at once
to the major of police. In Maj. MOore's office
they are divided up according to locality and
referred Ill patches TO the police lieutenants.
The police lieutenants through their subordi-
mates make careful investigation of each appli-
can't They have TO make N each case Il report
answering the following questions:
Question !. Are the sides of the squares re-
ferred to improved? Il SO, how?
Question 2. Are the parties actually engaged
in the business those VINO have made applica-
ton for the license?
Question 8. Are the premises the resort of
disreputable, vicious or disorderiy characters?
III so. state particulars.
Question 4. Have the party or parties ap-
plying for or transferring, license been ar
rested or indicted during the past year Cor vIo-
lation OF law other than the liquor laws! Ii
SO, state how often and what disposition has
been made of their cases
Question 3. Have the party or parties apply
ing for or transferring license been convicted
in the Police Court Tor violation of the liquor
laws? III SO, give the dates of such convictions
Question s. Were any OF these cases APP
pealed? III so. what was the judgment OF the
Criminal Court?
Question z. Have you reasons to believe
that gambling has been allowed in said prem
Uses, or that they have been used As bawdy
house? IL so, state your reasons.
question o. nave tlese premises one or more
than one door fronting on different Streets ON
each side of which streets it is necessary to
secure the signatures of q majority of owners
and householders?
Question O. State the number of liquor
saloons in the neighborhood IN which the APP
plicant proposes to establish bar or sample
room and how they are situated with reference
to the one applied for.
Question 10. State In distinct terms whether
or not the license Is for place within 400 feet
OF any public school owned by the District of
Columbia.
Question II. Are the premises In which il is
intended to conduct the business for which a
license is asked used a grocery or provision
store, or for any other purpose than as applied
for: and il SO, for what purpose?
Question u. Has the applicant any other
business or occupation that will keep him away
from the licensed premises during business
hours?
Question 10. Has the applicant any other
licensed place or business under tho District
laws or regulations!
Question IA. Is the applicant q citizen Of the
United States?
RETURNED TO THE COMMISSIONERS.
The papers go back from the police sergeants
to the heutenants aud finally to the major Of
police. each OF which officials consider them
and make on each case such remarks as may be
in their knowledge, so as to give the Commits
sioners all possible information. BY the major
of police they are returned to the Commission
ers for final action.
II two OF the Commissioners agree mp on ap-
proving or disapproying an applicatiOn the