Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1895-10-12
HIGH LICENSE FEES.
What Folks Think of the Excise
Boards Recommendations.
TEMPERANCE MEN WANT PROHIBITION
Various Views on the Effect of
Increasing the License.
JUDGE MILLER'S REMARKS


There is little doubt that an effort will be
made at tie next session of Congress to
increase the license fee for the sale of
liquors. The excise board has recon-
mended an increase Of license fees by a
hundred per cent, and the Commissioners
favor it and Will do their utmost to get
the bill through Congress having this in
view. Star reporter interviewed the excise
board this morning, upon the subject of
high license, and enc Of the members,
speaking for the board, said:
High license in the District, we believe,
will be protective and of much good. 1t
will close the low groggsries and elevate
the liquor business by putting it in the
hands of a few respectable men. The
license fee here is entirely too low; in the
west it is from 81 600 to $1,.OO per annum
for bar rooms, and the system works well.
OF course, it is expected that number
of .:'speak-easies'' will open up, but the
respectable dealers, to protect themselves,
will follow the example of their western
brothers and employ detectives to assist
the police In bringing them to justice"
What the Temperance Folks Say.
The recommendation made by the excise
be ard to the District Commissioners has
naturally proven a subject of much interest
and discussion among those affected and
closely concerned. Mr.. James L. Ewin
president Of the Anti-Saloon League, when
asked his opinion regarding the recommen-
dalton by Star reporter today, said:
Between a question of high license and
no license at all 1 am in favor of high
license. Between a question of high license
and suppression. 1 am most assuredly in
favor of suppression. The latter is our
goal. and we are spending our lives and our
money to reach it. We believe suppression
Is the only way to crush the liquor evil
and, thinking we are right, are working
vigorously with that end in view.. OF
course. 1 prefer a licensed saloon to an .un-
licensed liquor establishment.
"Is 1t the intention of the Anti-Saloon
League to take any steps in support Of the
recomme nda tion?" Mr.. Ewin was asked.
mo, 1 can't say that anything in that di-
rection is to be undertaken" he replied.
I'VE will present several measures to Con-
gress at the coming session, all with the
suppression of the liquor traffic in the Dis
trict of Columbia as the ultimate object,
and an energetic committee has been ap-
pointed to press the matters before the
House and Senate"
Mr.. Hosea 3. Moulton, the attorney, who
is deeply interested in the cause of tenn
perance, had the following to say:
"In my judgment, the capital of the
United States should be a prohibition city
by all means, and the only proper action
to take is to completely abolish the saloons
I am rot in favor of high license 1t might
result in q reduction in the number of
saloons in the District, but the ones to dis
continue business would be the small grog
shops. Such condition of things would
result in high license lending an air of re-
spectability to the high-toned restaurants.
l think 1t would be good idea to fix the
license at ridiculously low figure, and
grading as to make its determination u
necessity. AS l previously stated, COM
pletely wipe out the saloons, and 1t will he
possible to get along with but one Police
house than at present Is the case"
A well-known gentleman, prominent as
temperance advocate, declared himself in
favor Of the recommendation, for the reason
that high license will have e strong ten
dency to abolish the smaller saloons. THE
greater evil" he said, results from the
small grog shops established in the sections
of the city habitated by the poorer classes
They supply vile liquor and drain the purses
of poor men and thereby rob the families
of the latter. The aristocratic saloons are
patroniZed by persons who can easily af-
ford to spend the money"
Judge Miller's View.
Judge Miller, before whom most of the
liquor cases are tried, said he was not pre-
pared to express an opinion on the recon-
merdation Of the excise board, as he had
not considered the question of changing the
present law.
so far as my observation has gone" he
said, II think the present law has been
productive Of good results. There certain
falling off in the number of reported
cases of violations Of the law by those who
are licensed.
''The present law" the judge continued
II think has operated to put better class
of men in the business and by it's stringent
regulations, a breach of which means rot
only fine but forfeiture of license. has
compelled more general compliance with it's
provisions"
A Lawyers View of 1t.
Lawyer John A. Clarke, who is counsel
for one of the large brewers as well as
for many saloon keepers, thinks that the
proposed increase in the license tax would
decrease the Districts revenues, because
it would naturally decrease the number of
looms now, he said, who have to scrape to-
gether all they have each license year to
pay the 500 tax, and certainly they could
not get the amount proposed. Such an in
crease he says, would reduce the number
of saloons beyond any doubt, but would
not affect the wholesale dealers.
THE proposed increase" he said, would
have BOD, healthy, moral effect on the
community
While the number Of retail saloons would
be decreased. he thinks there would be a
decrease In the number Of "speak-easies-'
Such q change in the amount Of license
tax, he said, would not result in a de-
crease in the amount of liquor consumed,
but would put the business in the hands of
a better class of men.
would it result in an increase in price
for drink?" he was asked.
II think not" was his response. 1.-THE
more reputable places would continue as
usual, and, with a decrease in the number
of other saloons, would naturally come an
increase in business, SO that while the
liquor traffic would probably not be af-
fected as to the amount consumed, it would
have the effect of reducing tho number of
saloons and putting them in the hands of
a different class of men,"
Tho Liquor Dealers' Side.
The other eide OF the question is stated
by Mr.. E. L. Jordan of 517 9th street north
west, who is president Of the Liquor Deal
ers' Protective Association Of the Distric.
Of Columbia.
I'm answer to your inquiry" said Mr..
Jordan, "ss to my opinion regarding the
recommendation of the excise board that
the retail liquor license be increased from
500 to 800 per anrum, l would state that
il is Only another evidence Of the discrim-
nation usually shown against the liquor
dealers of this city. If the liquor business
Is a legitimate one 1t deserves the same
protection and encouragement and fair
treatment that is guaranteed all other
legitimate callings.