Evening star., 1893-12-16
MUST..sBE CL 0SE D.
7i
-rgt.
Saloons Whose Licenses Have Been
Rejected Cannot Sell.
COMMISSIONERS TAKE FINAL ACTION.
The Law Plain on the Subject
and to Be Enforced.
BY THE ATTORNEYS ADVICE.
COMMISSIONERS TAKE FINAL ACTION
BY THE ATTORNEYS ADVICE.

All liquor saloons whose applications for
liquor licenses have been refused must close
at once.
This Is the ultimatum arrived at by the
Commissioners this morning, at a special
session of the board. The meeting was cali
ed in response to numerous requests on the
part of applicants whose applications for
liquor license had been refused. with the OBJ
ject Of having the closing of their places de-
ferred until at least the excise board had
had an opportunity of examining the cases
and taken final action thereon.
There were some meritorious cases in the
number rejected, in which a hardship would
be worked, If they were compelled to close
their places of business at once. These cases
were rejected upon technicalities. but ac-
cording to the decision of the Commission
ers today they will have to suffer with the
bad ones.
The attorney for the District was sent for
soon after theeboard went into session, and
for over an hour he was cioseted in the
board room, giving the Commissioners the
benefit Of the law on the subject.
There was disposition on the part Of the
Commissioners to be lenient in some cases,
but the attorney quickly knocked all such
thoughts to smithereens. He said plainly
when asked for his opinion, that he did not
believe the Commissioners had any choice
In the matter. The law on the subject was
plain. He cited the seventeenth section of
the new liquor law. which reads:
Sec. u. That all applicants who have
mad license during the preceding year
shall apply for a renewal of such license on
or before November 1 of each license year
and shall be permitted to continue business
until license shall be granted or refused by
the excise board; but in all cases Of refusal
to grant license such proportion of the IL
cense Zee as may have become due shall be
deducted and retained from the sum de-
posted therefor as the time from the first
day OF November to the date Of such refusal
pears to the entire license year, and no
other person shall be permitted to conduct
said business until a license is issued there
for"
Excise Board Rules.
Then, again, he pointed out that the ex-
else board at it's first meeting had made
certain rules and regulations, the thir-
teenth section of which covered the case in
question completely. At the suggestion of
Commissioner Ross he read this section.
which says:
Sec. IL. When an application for license
Tor a person who was licensed for the pre-
ceding year has been rejected by the ex-
else board the assessor of the Dis
trict shall Immediately transmit to the
major Of police the following notice, to be
served upon the applicant in person or to
be left at his place Of business:
Mr.. -: You are hereby notified that
street. in the city (or county, of
Washington. District Of Columbia, was on
the - day of -, 1S9-, rejected by the ex-
else board. The amount to which you are
entitled by law can be had upon demand.
You are further notified that the above re-
lection terminated all rights you may have
had to continue in said business at the said
place from and after forty-eight hours after
midnight of the day Of serving this notice
and that the police have been directed to
see that the same is closed.
copy of this notice, with the return OF
the officer making the service, showing
when where and upon whom the same was
served. shall be filed with the application.
The Decision Discussed.
Upon this statement Of law and facts the
Commissioners decided to reject the petit
ton praying for a withholding of the no
tices to close. and directed the license clerk
to proceed and send out the notices.
The action of the Commissioners soon
reached the ears of the liquor attorneys and
formed food for discussion during the day.
Mr.. Charles Hood. the representative Of
the Heurich Brewing Co., said 1t was an un-
just order, as it carried with its enforce
ment the closing Of a number of reputable
places that did not have a scratch against
them.
Mr.. Frank Madigan, who represents the
Washington Brewing Co., said the opinion
Of the attorney and the decision of the Com
missioners was no news to him. He had
expected such action all along. He would
say. however, that it was a most unjust de-
were concerned, for they had to decide up
on the law. but unjust because 1t would
close up q number of places that the Com
missioners already were willing to approve.
This was the busiest season Of the year and
the hardship would be great.