Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1896-04-29
THE LIQUOR LAW
Hearing Before the House Alcoholic
Liquor Traffic Committee.
MANY AMENDMENTS SUGGESTED
Addresses Made by Anti-Saloon
League Representatives.
THOSE WHO WE'RE PRESENT

The House committee on alcoholic liquor
traffic today took up bill proposing some
radical amendments to the District liquor
law. This law was prepared by the COM
mittee on the District Of Columbia, but the
friends of the proposed amendments are
pushing them before the frst-named COM
mittee, of which Mr.. Morse of Massacnu-
sets Is chairman. Mr.. Morse is pro-
nounced temperance advocate. and intro
duced the bill carrying the amendments !
The bill blouse bill 1883 came up this
morning at a hearing granted to the Anti
Saloon League by the committee on alco-
holic liquor traffic.
MIR. Ewin's Address.
James l.. Ewin. president of the Anti
Saloon League of the District, said his as
ISOLATION was deyoting it's time to endeav-
ors to shorten the time when strong drink
shall curse the District. He did not propose
to speak for high license or low license but
to advocate the proposed amendments to
the existing liquor law.
He said the present law was framed in
behalf of the liquor interests of the CITY
ne wanted the provisions of the law ex-
Tended to brewers, makers and distillers
VINO, he said, can now sell by the bucket
ful or the bottle He wanted these dealers
made amenable to the law as retail and
the excise board has approved this amend
ment.
MIR. Andrew Wilson's Remarks
Mr.. Andrew Wilson wanted section Q of
the existing law amended SO as to provide
that the action Of the excise board shall
be final and conclusive "as to facts Ones
lions OF law may be appealed to the Su-
preme Court of the District of Columbia,
either by the applicant or by contestant
or record" He said the law now makes
the decision of the excise board final, al
though he did not understand that the
men composing that board are learned in
the law and able to pass judgment upon
the law. The board can determine facts,
put where question of law comes in
tnsre should be an appeal to a judicial
tribunal. Very often large property inter-
ests are affected. and in such cases the
Question ought to be passed upon by men
learned in the law.
Mrs. PIntt's Desire.
Mrs. Margaret B. Plat, president of the
w. G. T. t., wanted section 5 of The law
amended 50 as to furnish every year re-
newal of the signatures of property hold
ers. She said dealer has to renew his
license every year. but now can use the
original signatures to application year
after year. although the old residents may
be dead or moved away, and the existing
residents may be opposed to the saloon.
Ole Sdlu Sne Nau Detn tOlQ or a case where
a resident wanted to withdraw the sigma
ture, but was told it could not be done
Mrs. Platt said her proposition was so fair
that it did not need further argument.
Mr.. Ewin explained that these amend
ments are the outgrowth of practical eff
forts on the part of the Anti-SaIoon
League to carry out the law for the bene-
tit CT the citizens of the District.
Section Five AS Amended.
Other amendments were proposed to Sec
ton of the existing law, so as to make
1t read as follows:
THAT in the cities Of Washington and
Georgetown it shall be the duty Of every
applicant for bar room license to present
to the excise board with its application the
written permission of a majority of the
persons owning real estate, and a ma iority
of the residents keeping house on the side
of the square where 1t Is desired to locate
such business and on the confronting side
of the square fronting opposite the same:
and II the location of such bar room is on
corner such consent will be required from
such owners and residents on both streets
ana on the corner diagonally opposite such
bar room; and in that portion of the Dis
trict of Columbia lying outside of the said
cities of Washington and Georgetown such
applicant shall present such permission
from majority of the persons owning real
estate and of residents keeping house with
in the space Of go feet Of the street or
road on each side of the building where it
is desired to locate such business and
within a similar space on the side of the
street or road fronting opposite such build
Ing. The fact of such ownership of real
estate shall be certified by the assessor of
the District of Columbia. and the fact of
the required residence and the genuineness
of the signatures Of the residents afore-
said shall be certified by the lieutenant or
acting lieutenant Of the police precinct
which embraces such proposed location:
Provided, That any established hotel or
tavern having twenty-five chambers for
lodging guests shall always have the right
to obtain for itself a license for bar
room on complying with the provisions Of
this act, and the petition in such case
That upon conviction of such licensee of
such hotel or tavern: Provided further
That upon a conviction of such license of
keeping a dlsorderly or disreputable place
1t shall be the duty Of said excise board to
revoke such licensees license"
The Sixth Section.
In the sixth section of the law Mr.. Ewin
wanted to strike out the words "above age
Of sixteen years." as, he said, simply to re-
lieve the section of an obscurty. He also
wanted to add to that section the follow
ing: "And provided further, That the In
terror of every place where intoxicating
liquors are sold shall at all times be ex-
posed to full view from the street, except
in the case of a hotel having an interior
dining room, in which case there shall be
full view of the interior from the public
halls"
What to Constitute Bar Room.
He wanted section eight of the present
law amended to read as follows:
That every place where distilled malt or
fermented wines, liquors or cordials are
sold in quantities prescribed for retail
dealers by section 324, Revised Statutes