Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1892-06-17

a
ADAPTED To TEE CONDITIONS OF THE DIS
TsIcT-THE LICENSE FIXED At s5OO-REsI-
DENTS OF ANY SQUARE TO DETERMINE As TO
LOCATION OF SALOONS.
Senator Hsnsbrough yesterday afternoon. on
behalf Of the committee on the District of
Columbia, to whom was referred the bill (Sen-
ate 24s5l regulating the sale of distilled and
fermented liquors in the District Of Columbia.
after full consideration of the measure. reported
the same back 20 the Senate with the recon-
mendation that it do pass.
SAYS the report: The necessity of legislation
on the subject Of liquor licenses was brought to
the attention Of the committee by the Commits
sioners Of the District Of Columbia, who sent
the draft Of bill which was duly introduced as
Senate bill 27s1. The widespread dissstisfac-
ton with the present law found expression in
Senate bill 39s. for the removal OF saloons dis
tilleries and breweries in the city of Washing
ton on complaint of persons residing in their
Immediate vicinity; in Senate bill 1871, which
provided for uniform license of $500 on both
Wholesale and retail dealing in liquors. and in
Senate bill 1893, TO prohibit the manufacture
and sale Of spirituOus and Intoxicating liquors
in the District Of Columbia Also a bill Senate
1S5l was introduced to repeal the prohibition
Of the sale of liquor in that portion of the CITY
of Washington living within mile of the
Soldiers Home grounds The Liquor Dealers
Association also prepared q bill Senate 3l12) 70
regulate the granting of licenses. in which it
was provided that Wholesale dealers In liquor
should pay an annual tax Of $50 or twice the
amount now paid and that retail dealers should
paw $3.50 or $50 more than at present The
committee thus convinced that there
was public demand for a higher license and
more stringent provisions against the sale of
Eduor and that even the liquor dealers them
selves rocOeyDiyp tho not hat ha lice
paid was too small
While these bills were pending the attention
Of the Committee called 70 an article by
Mr.. Julian Ralph in Harpers Magazine for
April. 1892. entitled Western Modes of City
Management"
THE MINNEAPOLIS PLAN.
Speaking OF Minneapolis Mr.. Ralph saws
''In Minneapolis. a city Of 164.O00 population.
the striking feature of the city government is
the system OF licensing saloons. The noticea-
BILE and most admirable single feature of the
government. l. Che licensing plan. Dram sell
ing Il kept awav from the residence portion of
the town. and ia confined to the business and
manufacturing districts. A have seen in a
previous Taper on thU cities of the northwest
Minneapolis T. distiIc'IvCiy and peculiarly a
city Of homes. Il spreads Itself. with elbow
room flr nearly every dwelling. over ifty-;hr
square uil.- ~ tcrri-or:. the entire city area
II very IgrA liz III Is appearance and sur
rouliG.cg E=tl w and down its beautiful res
idenoe a'o:Irc and along H. scores of semi
rIral street the hone anne. phere and influence
are UHhruAeu b. he ,-'sence Of saloons
They are .c.egc.td and Ccafued to a compar-
Gtiselv nall fr.c ion 0f IN srace covered by
the town. hi j. called the patrol district
and the riaH l. named after t. The patrol limit
system u IL rot easy to understand why il
IL So called. since She whOlc citv Is patroled
but a stud OF h map shows that the territory
In which IA hcsu-es are granted L. mainly in
two arrow bClts along tn. river. in the more
th;ekly hrilt. older pa-is o. The two towns that
have since become ore cltv. ~ IL Il CITY Of
superb area most Of the Dwellings are at a DIS
lance fruln tie OTTER edges of the saloon dis
tricts. The electric car lines arc numerous
aud 'Ee rar- are swift. but those who feel that
peculiar thirst which eGa only be quenched
while the sufferer leans against the bar must
make long journey and pay ten cents car fare
to obtain relief
T1GH-LiCESsE STATE.
Minnesota is a high-hcen-e state. and the
fee FOR permit 10 maintain saloon or hotel
bar in cities Of more than 100. 900 population is
$1,000. 10 obtain a permit in Minneapolis the
applicant must be twenty-one years of age. and
must not have had previous license revoked
or been convicted Of Uffense against the
liquor laws or ordinances within wear of the
date of his application. The applicant must
manage bis place himself and for himself He
may not have more than one license. He NAV
not sell liquor in or next door to any theater or
within 400 feet Of public school. or within 200
feet of park parkway. All this he must
swear tn and agree that if he has sworn falsely
In any particular in his afaidavit his license NAV
be revoked. He must together with his appli-
cation and affidavit. also file bond in 81 600
with two surejies. who shall not be on any
other similar bond.
WHAT TIE APPLICANT MUST DO.
for a person. and carries further conditions
ag,inst SUNDAY selling. gambling and disorderly
conduct the premises Is well as against
selling TO minors or to public school pupils or
drunkards. The applicant goes before the city
clerk. pays fee of u and registers his applica-
ton and bond. II it appears that his case
comes within the requirements and his pro-
POSED saloon is to be within the patroled dis
trict the application Is published once a week
for two weeks in the official newspaper of
the city. IL any citizen then protests against
the granting OF the license hearing is had be-
fore the city council II the license is granted
II Is not sssignabis to any other perssn though
the executor or administrator OF a deceased
hcen'ee NAV carry Oh the business. 1t is not
transferable to any ether place. though the
alteration OF the neighbOrhood around the
saloon make 1t necessary for the city to grant a
permit for removal In case a license is re-
voked BY the mayor or city council for reason
then the liquor seller shall have refunded TO
HIM n sum proportional to one-half the sum
paid for such license for the unexpired term
thereof. But If the courts order the license
revoked the dealer loses all that he has paid.
The courts NAV order license revoked on the
hrst conviction for breach Of the law On a
second conviction they must revoke it.
THE ANNUAL REVENUE
Last year ga persons took ont licenses and
there Is liquor seller TO every 675 inhabitants.
~ against one to every III per-ons in New
York city. But the fee of 81 900 makes the
liquor dealers pay into the MinneapoIi. treas
ury sZ14 900. OF about S52 OOO more than the
eost OF the police force Of the city. This Min
neapoiis plan speaks for itself II does not
easily lend itself TO city Ike New York where
tie population is squeezed iato n narrow space
ard there Il no broad division of the city into a
residence and business part Bat it will be
seen that " could be applied tn most of the
country. especially when il il noted that even
In Minneapolis there are irregularities in the
patrol district 10 meet eccentricties of the
citys growth. The more worldly wise the
reader Is. the more likely he will be to ask at
ence whs Their the law is enforced and whether
the druggists who are everywhere 1.-The silent
partners IN the liquor trade are not AS usual
violating IL wherever the people have sought TO
make II prcbibitOry. Answers to these aues-
lions are that the Appearances ard general