The evening times., 1895-10-12

In furtherance of its expressed deter.
mination to strictly execute the liQu or
! law, and In support of its recommendation
recently made to the Commissioners of an
amendment which shall punish by fine or
| imprisonment, or both, the seller of aduI-
terated spirits, the excise board has been
for some time engaged in u quiet collec-
tion of data of highly important charac-
ter that will probably have bearing upon
their future action IN the matter of grant
ing licenses, and serve, also, as an argu.
ment before Congress in support of the
proposed legislation.
1t Is reliably ascertained that the boa rtl
has caused to be procured by purchase a
sample of the W hisky and gin retailed over
| the bar at every saloon and other eslab-
| lishment In the city now holding license.
These samples, it is stated, are SO num-
bered and otherwise identified that the
particular establishment from which each
was obtained can be readily located, by
| sworn testimony, if necessary, and the
proprietor held responsible for whatever
may be developed as to the spurious CON
tents of the sample.
The purchases have been quietly made,
and the packages will therefore exhibit the
average quality of the product OF the bar
from which it was obtained.
ALL TO BE TESTED
Every sample in the possession of the
board will be Immediately subjected to a
chemical test, and its ingredients carefully
ascerJained and stated A record OF the an
alysis will then be annexed to the history
OF the purchase, and the name OF the seller
identified.
This course is taken it is understood, as
part of the plan Of the excise board to
reform the license system, and is in keeping
with its suggestion of an advance in Ii
cense fees.
Embodied in its recent communication
to the Commissioners the board recommend
ed the increase OF wholesale fees to S4OO
and retail fees TO $500 per anDum, with
the explanation that while higher rate
would tend to decrease the number OF sd
looms, it would be conducive to the inter
ests of the public as well as the saloon
keeper. the plain inference of the suggestion
being that, in the estimation Of the board,
the system would be elevated, and To that
extent reformed.
The excise board to-day decided in favor
of the application made several months ago
by George A. and Harrington Mills for IL
cense to keep a bar at the Hotel Grafton,
on the corner of Connecticut avenue and De
Sales street northwest.
Bitter opposition to the granting of this
license has been made by property owners,
who were represented by Attorney r. Ross
Perry, upon the grounds that barronnl at
that point win be highly obiectiuna BILE and
preiudicial to good order.
In his brief. filed several weeks ago. Mr..
Perry cited that among the protesting
citizens are James NJ. Johnston, OF Riggs
& Co.; Mrs. Wood, the trustees for Mrs.
James NJ. Johnston. the trustees of the W.
w. Corcoran estate. Mrs. Griswold, Mrs.
Shea, and others, most, III not all of whom
own property between l. and NJ streets
on Connecticut avenue. and that the ap-
plicants were indorsed by bare ma iority
OF the residents.
GROUNDS OF OBJECTION
Referring to the evident purpose of the
board to reduce number of saloons, Mr..
Perry said:
ITO begin to issue licenses in choice
residence section is step backward"
1t was also cited that church is
located directly across then street from
the Grafton, and that there is convent
Immediately south of ii, both within the
400 feet limit.
While tbs. ostensible purpose in this ap-
plicltion,' said Mr.. Perry in his brief, lis
10 secure the riviIcGc of dispensing liquors
to guests in Il Eoiei, the real object, and
the Objectionable feature, Is the eS'ab-
Iishnnent of Il barroom which can lie en-
tered from the street. which will be open
under our laws to any noisy and vicious
people who choose to enter IL.
This bar is not necessary for hotel pur-
poses, the use of the word buffet is il
mere disguise"
The granting OF the license in this case
is evidently due to the opinion latcly rem
d.rci by Attorney Thomas, who held that
established hotels are exempt from the
provisions of the four hundred feet restrlc-
tiOn. The Grafton is, in all other respects.
within the law, and with the attorneys
opinion before them releasing the hotel
from the restraining clause, there seemed
to be no course open but to indorse the
application. and this the board did
Two transfers of licenses We're author
iZed this morning. follows. From Harry
G.. Conwell to Patrick J Cook, No. 32l NJ
street. from Iona, Lizzie and Rica Sprohs
to Frederick Holmes, No. 1873 street
northwest.
CONTRACTOR IN TROUBLE.
The District Commissioners issued an
order yesterday directing the superir-
tendent OF county roads to put on force
OF men sufficient to complete the work of
grading and grayeling Pennsylvania av-
enuc extended, in the northeast. and also
on Branch avenue, that connects with the
first named thoroughfare, the contractor
having allied to complete the improvement
in satisfactory manner.
This work was contracted for more than
a Year ago by A. n. Brady, upon his bid
of 81 200. the amount of the appropria-
ton, and with the display of proper en-
ergy, it is claimed. the job could have
been easily completed in six months.
MIR. Bradys attention has been repeatedly
called to the necessity for greater expedi-
ton, hut he was negligent and seemingly
Indifferent, and the Commissioners have
taken the work out of his hands and will
have it completed without further delay.
BUILDING RULES AMENDED
An amendment to the building reguia-
tions, promulgated yesterday, applies to
hotels and apartment houses the provisions
of a previous order prescribing ten feet
as the extent of space to be reserved in
the rear of the buildings to secure light
and ventilation.
Private j. E. Pierce, of the police force,
has been fined $50 for neglect of duty,
the Commissioners having issued an order
to that effect yesterday. The findings of
~. - l.,,t