Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1893-01-05


The urgent need Of some legislation to repair
the wreck of the Distric; liquor laws makes it
probable that one Of the bills now pending IN
Congress intended to provide effective
liquor license system for the District will be-
come Law. These bills are four in number.
One Of them. the Hunton bill is designed sim
plv TO give effect to the present imperative
law. All Of the bills proposed require on the
FIRST application for a license for a saloon the
written consent Of a majority Of property own
ers and residents on the square. The present
Law and the Mcmillan bill require this consent
10 be obtained every year before the license can
be renewed. The Campbell and Meredith bills
relieve the saloonkeeper Of the necessity of So
curing these signatures when renewing his
license. unless q majority of the property own
sr- and residents unite in a protest against the
saloon The present law and all the pend
ing bills except the Campbell bill
give To the Commissioners the power to
grant licenses and charge the attorney OF the
District with the prosecution Of liquor cases.
The Campbell bill creates excise board, COM
posed Of the chief OF police. the assessor and the
collector. which board shall grant licenses. and
places the prosecution for violations Of the law
in the hands OF the United States attorney for
the District. IL differs from the other bills also
IN limiting the number OF licenses to be fssued
In one yesr to 500 and in making the licenses
irr-vocable except upon conviction in court.
The present law fixes the fee for bar room Ii
censes ~ 600. the Mcmillan bill at $500. the
Campbell bill at $3.50. and the Meredith bill at
$50 Both the Mcmillan and the Meredith
bills make the display of the usual bar room
signs prima facie evidence of the sale OF liquor
a provision which would make it much easier
20 secure convictions than has been the ease
under the present law. The Mcmillan bill per
mits the Commissioners To- revoke licenses at
any time and contains several provisions not
contained in the present law. any of the other
bHs, Among the most important of these is
requiring applicants for licenses TO give a
bond in the sum of $1,000 TO comply with the
Law
The present law provides for fee Of SOS for
Wholesale license. the Mcmillan bill makes no
distinction between Wholesale and retail. the
Campbell biz provides For license for Whale
sale dealers selling in quantities Of not less than
Eve gallons. who are to paw 500 year; retail
grocer- selling liquors in unbroken packages in
Quantities OF not less thar a quart are to pay
ESQ and jobbers selling in quantities. not less
than three gallons $3.50. The Meredith bill
provides for a wholesale license fee Of $50 for
persons selling IN quantities of not less than
pint.
Having considered the plain distinctions be-
tween the various propositions designed TO sup
ply tie Dstric' with Effective liquor legislation
the District committees and Congress should
experience difficulty in promptly deciding
which in their opinion is the wisest method
proposed. AMI in crystsllizing their decision
into Law. The District wants an adequate
liquor law. and wants il at once. Every Con-
gresham. Intrusted by the Constitution with
the duty of exclusive legislation for ;Le cap
Itsl. ought IN this case 10 remember that delay
and inaction which viii result in no legislation
whatever on the subject impose upon him the
responsibility for a decision far worse than
ehampiOnshiD Of the feebest Of the laws pro-
posed-A decision in favor Of lawIessness