Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1894-02-12
A DIST RICT DAY
Amendments to the Liquor Law
Passed in the House.
DEBATE As TO HOTEL LICENSES
Those Hereafter Established Must
Have Twenty-Five Rooms.
9TH Err LOCAL MATTERS

VI IL b Il LOG A l. Nj A TT T. X s
Today was the day set apart under the
rules Of the House for the consideration of
bills reported from the District of Columbia.
and accordingly after the morning business
was cleared away, Chairman Heard moved
that the House proceed to the consideration
of District bills on the calendar. Mr..
Breckenridge Of Kentucky. however, ex-
planned that a deficiency appropriation bill
demanded immediate attention, and at his
request Mr.. Heard yielded for the purpose
of taking up the appropriation bill. This
bill contained an appropriation of $11,95S
for repairing the Ford's Theater building,
and $1,000 for rent of buildings for the fish
commission pending repairs. There was a
desire on the part of some members to de-
bate the bill, and in order not to antagonize
District business Mr.. Breckenridge with
drew the bill.
To Amend the Liquor Law.
Mr. Heard was then recognized and he
called up the bill to amend the section of
the liquor law relating to the 400 feet limit
The bill is as follows:
Section 16 That license for any of the
purposes specified shall not be granted to
any person to conduct such business within
Tour hundred feet of a public school house,
private school, or house of religious wor-
ship. measured between the nearest en-
trance to each by the shortest course of
travel between such place of business and
any scnool house, private school or house
or religious worship, except in such places of
business as were located and licensed at the
uate Oh the said act or previous to the erec-
ton or occupation of such school house.
Ship WA
The purpose of the bill is to make the
act or March 3. 1893, clearer In its provis-
ions as to the locations at which intoxicat-
ing liquors may be sold, and also to de-
prive that act of it's retroactive features
as 10 such locations so as not to destroy
a business heretofore established; but to
cause the exceptions as to locations con-
tained in section 16 Of the act of March 3.
1898, not to apply to places of business that
were established before the enactment of
the act.
In Committee of the Whole.
The point was raised by Mr.. Pickler of
South Dakota that the bill should be con-
sidered in committee of the whole. and after
the House had thus resolved itself Mr..
Cobb briefly explained the bill.
Amendments offered.
An amendment was offered by Mr.. Mere
dith authorizing the Commissioners to ad-
minister oaths in hearings before the ex-
else board, which was agreed to-
An amendement offered by the committee
inserted the words .'in any section Of said
act' after the word specified in line 1.
which was also agreed to.
As To Hotels. sAS .t.AE
Mr.. Pickler offered an amendment pro-
viding that hotels must have thirty rooms
in order to take advantage of the exemp-
ton applying to hotels. At present only
twenty rooms are required
Mr.. Pickler said there are in some places
numbers of small buildings where halls and
rooms are subdivided SO as to make twenty
rooms, not for hotel purposes, but to OBJ
tain license to sell liquor.
Mr.. Heard and Mr. Cobb said they had no
objection to Mr.. Picklsr's amendment.
Mr.. Babcock said that, under the present
law, hotel Is considered a building OF
twenty rooms. He did not think that 1t was
the intention of Congress to except hotels
from it's provisions. He had the decision of
the district attorney upon this subject read
at the clerks desk.
Mr.. Campbell (NY) hoped that the amend
ment would not prevail. He said that some
of the incest hotels in Washington, some of
the most charming" have only twenty
rooms.
Mr.. Heard suggested that these hotels can
get a bar room license, and he hoped that
the amendment would carry. A few mo-
ments afterward howey er, Mr.. Heard an
nounced that he was mistaken in the tenor
of the amendment and would oppose 1t.
Mr.. Cobb said that Mr.. Picklers amend
ment was superfluous, that outside of the
400 feet limit twenty-room hotels stand on
the same basis as any other place where
liquor is sold.
Pickler's Amendment Rejected.
Mr.. Heard explained that he had at first
thought Mr.. Pickler's amendment applied
only to hotels to be established, but he finds
that the amendment applies to hotels al
ready established; therefore he opposes it.
Mr.. Pickler's amendment was not agreed to-
Mr.. Cobb moved that the committee rise
and report the bill, as amended, to the
House. Mr. Picker demanded a division
and then made the point of no quorum, his
purpose being to defeat the bill as amended
Mr.. Pickler withdrew his objection and
concluded an agreement with Mr.. Cobb by
which an amendment to the bill was adopt-
ed which provides that no hotel herea fter
established shall be licensed unless Ii has
twenty-five rooms. The bill, as amended,
was then passed.
This concluded District day There were
no other District bills on the House calen-
dar. The committee calendar has a large
number on II, but the committee has not
yet reported them, and, of course no action
can be taken in the House until they are
reported.