Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1894-08-21
THE LIQUOR LAW
First Meeting of the New Excise
Board Today.
IMPORTANT DUTIES OF ADMINISTRATION
The Legal Safeguards Thrown
About the Issue of Licenses.
BOARDS ACTION FINAL

| The new board Of assessors will meet to-
| day in their capacity an excise board.
| The law under which the present board
| Of permanent assessors was appointed
| few days ago provides that the said board
shall hereafter constitute the excise board
| of the District Of Columbia, and shall per-
| fern all the duties of said board according
to law. That portion Of the law Of March
g. 1893, which imposes this duty upon the
Commissioners of the District Is repealed.
| The law which the excise board Is called
| upon to execute is of recent origin, having
been approved March 3. 1893. It is known
as an act to regulate the sale Of intoxicat-
ing liquors in the District. and is quite
lengthy. comprising some twenty-one sec
items. This law. with the amendment
known as the Babcock amendment, which
was approved May IL. 1894. embodies all
the law regulating the sale Of intoxicating
| liquors In this District. The last section of
| the act provides that It shall be in lieu of
and as a substitute for all existing laws
| and regulations In the District in relation
| to the sale of distilled and fermented
| liquors, and that all laws or parts of laws
| Inconsistent with this act except such laws
| as are applicable to the sale of liquor with
| in one mile of the Soldiers Home, are re-
| pealed.
1t will be seen that the duty which has
been imposed upon the board of assessors
| IN constituting them an excise board is IN
important one. They are to administer the
| liquor laws of the District, and are en-
powered to make such rules and regulations
for carrying into effect the law as they may
| deem proper. 1t is their duty to take up
| and consider all applications for license to
sell intoxicating liquors and take action on
such applications. The action of the board
| shall be final and conclusive. and only on
w fha ard <,f
an applicant to sell intoxicating liquor shall
| the assessor issue a license to such appli-
cant The board is required to make an
annual report to Congress-, setting forth
| the number of applications for license, both
| favorably and unfavorably acted on the
| number OF persons convicted for violation
| Oh the law and the amount of fines collected
| eEd Cncollected.
| A License Required.
The board is authorized to appoint an as
| sistant clerk at q salary not to exceed
| sl,ooo. This clerk Is ex officio the inspector
oil license issued under the law. 1t is his
! duty to make the inspections required by
| the law under the orders Of the board and
make full report Of such inspection to the
board The law provides that no person
shall sell. offer for sale or keep for sale or
| trafhc in. barter, or exchange for goods In
the District, any intoxicating liquor, ex-
| cept as provided for in the law This pro-
vision, however. does not apply to sales
made by person under a provision of law
| requiring him to sell personal property, nor
TO sales by the maker. brewer or distiiier
| thereof, not to be drunk on the premises
The meaning of the term intoxicating
I liquors as used in the act Is defined to in
clude whisky. brandy, rum, gin, wine ale
porter, beer and all other fermented and
distilled liquors. ~.
Every person applying for a license I'd
sell Intoxicating liquors in the District is,
! required to file with the excise board a De-
| tltlon for such license, and such petition
shall be considered and acted on by the
be ard in the order in which such petition is
filed and numbered. The petition Is to con-
| tain the following particulars: The name
and residence Of the applicant and how
| long he has resided there: the particular
place for which a license Ii desired, desig-
| mating the same by street and number, n
practicable. and IL not. by such other apt
/ description as definitely locates it; the
| name Of the owner of the premises upon
which the business is to be conducted.
| Petition for a License.
statement that the applicant Is a citi-
l zen of the United States. Is not less than
twenty-one years Of age. and has never
since the passage OF this law been adjudsed
guilty Of violating the laws governing the
| sale Of Intoxicating liquors or laws for the
prevention of gambling in the district uf
,;on a., must us be made The pe,,
davit of the petitioner. A false state
| ment makes the petitioner guilty Of
perjury, and. upon conviction. his license
shall be revoked ana he shall be subject to
the penalties provided by law for that
| crime The petition must further state
that the petitioner Is not the owner Of or
licensee named in any such license then In
business for himself. and NOT as al agent
| and Will do SO: that he intends to superin-
| tend In person the management OF the bus
ness. and will do so. In addition. to the APP
plication for a license, every applicant must
present to the excise board the written per-
mission of a majority Of the persons own
ing real estate and majority Of the resi-
dents keeping house u on the side OF the
business and on the Confronting Side of the
square fronting opposite the same.
| In the case Of bar rooms located on q
| corner, with an entrance thereon such con-
sent will be required from owners and resi-
| dents on both streets. Within the territory
| outside Of the cities Of Washington and
Georgetown permission Is to be obtained
\ from a majority OF the persons owning real
estate and of residents keeping house within
the space Of 80 feet Of the street or road
on each side of the place where It Is desired
| to locate such business, and within a SINH
| lar space on the side OF the street or road
/ fronting opposite such place. The assessor
| Is required to certify to the fact of the
| ownership Of real estate. and the police
| lieutenant or acting lieutenant OF each pre-
cinct to the fact of the residents and gen.
uineness of the signatures Of the residents
Renewal of Signatures.
Every place where intoxicating liquors are
| sold, to be drunk on the premises, is for the
| purposes of this law considered bar room,
and tine possession of intoxica ting liquors
| end the selling or disposing of the same, to
| be drunk On the premises. shall constitute
| and make the place bar room. Ate: the
| expiration of the period for which a license
I is issued, Il shall not be necessary for
| such licensee to obtain again such consent
| for a renewal of the license unless the ma
| jority of the real estate owners anu resi-
| dent housekeepers aforesaid shall petition
| the board, stating In such petition that said
| bar room is not necessary, and is objection
able The fact that such parties SO petition
| ing and Directing are real estate owners
| and resident housekeepers, and the genuine
ness Of their signatures shall be certified in
| the same manner as Is provided in reference
| to their written consent. However, upon a
| conviction of such licensee of keeping q dis
| orderly or disreputabie place, II shall be the
| duty of the board to revoke the license but
until such conviction the license shall not
be revoked or taken away
Discretion Is given to the excise board
| to issue a license to any duly incorporated
| club to sell sQuors to members and guests
| between such hours the board NAV des-