Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1895-12-02
LILO UOR LICEN Sc IS
Recommendations in the Annual Report oi
the Excise Board
That Clubs Come Under the Law
Proposed Penalty to Prevent the
AdultcratiOn of Liquor.

The annual report of the excise board of
the District was made to the Commission
ers today. During the last license year
the board granted COS bar room liquor
licenses. comprising hotels clubs and ordi-
nary bar rooms. 1t also granted 1T2 whole
sale liquor licenses, including groceries,
bottlers, brewers, agents, confectioners and
strictly wholesale places. The number Of
bar room applications rejected during the
year was fifty-two, and the number Of
wholesale liquor applications unfavorably
acted on was eleven.
The board points out that since August
IL, 1894. at which time it was created, 1t
has not licensed any new bar rooms except
the same were located in buildings used for
hotel purposes, and having not less than
twenty-five rooms for guests. One license.
the board says, gas granted to bar room
not in hotel but the place had been
licensed during the previous year, and was
licensed only by the use of a license that
had been granted to another place which
had been closed up. Continuing, the re-
port says:
Originally it WIS the opinion of the
board that Congress had unintentionally
augmented the arduous duties of the board
of assistant assessors by giving it jurisdic-
ticn over excise matters, but experience
has proven that the very duty the board is
called upon to perform in making an as
sessment from actual view gives it the
very best opportunity of ascertaining many
important details as to the character of the
place sought to be licensed, its surround
ings and the needs, If any, for a continu-
ance of liquor license. Considerations
like these enter into and form the evidence
which enables the board to form intelligent
judgment outside of police reports and the
data furnished by its inspector.
Prompt Application.
''The board respectfully makes mention
he foat fo-
liquor Licences were ir the nabit of failing
to comply With the law relative to the fill
ing of their applications, accompanied by
the required deposits, on or before Novem-
ber 1. This innovation was, however cor
rected this year by the board, with the sat
isfying result that only seven licensees
failed to comply with the requirements of
applications amounted to $273,2OO proper
toned as follows: Bar rooms, $233, 900;
wholesale, $4,000.
The report calls attention to the fact that
the law contains no provision for the pun
ishment of seller of adulterated liquors.
and the following proviso to the excise law
is suggested:
Every person so licensed. or any other
person who shall Intentionally or otherwise
sell or give away, or direct or permit any
person or persons in his employ to sell or
give away malt, spirituous and vinuous
liquors, which shall be adulterated with
strychnine, astrontia, sugar of lead or any
substance which is poisonous or injurious to
health, shall forfeit and pay the sum Of
three hundred dollars Cs300), and in case of
non-payment of such fine shall be impris-
oned in the jail of the District of Columbia
for a period Of time not exceeding six
months. or till the same is paid, and shall
forfeit his or her liquor license.
In conclusion the board would respect
fully invite your attention to its letter
dated October 9, 1895, addressed to your
honorable body, in which were its recon-
mendations, which in brief had in view the
changing of the liquor law SO as to pre-
vent the adulteration of liquors; to increase
the bar room license from S40O to $500; to
increase the wholesale liquor license from
$3.50 to 500; that clubs be required to take
out liquor licenses and to raise the salary
of the assistant clerk to the board to
$1,000"