The morning times., 1896-01-14


ton has developed strong Influence that
! VIII be heard before the District Commit
tees OF Congress in favor OF taking The
license matters out OF The hands OF The Con-
| nl.ssioncrs and the excise board and trans
fcrring the arsiifiment of the question TO
the police OoGrt.
The Times was Informed yesteriay by u
gentleman who had ten minutes before heen
! in conference with othesS upon the subject,
that the movement is started, that IL is
| gathering force and tia; there is no pos
siblrrioubt of the exercise of Tie power Of
u strong lobby to accomplish The purpose
| in view.
| The Times informant was particular
| to say that the movement was not intended
10 be a reflection upon the excise beard
nor Upon The methods that have prevailed
before ana after the creation OF that tri-
| bunal.
1t is based upon other grounds, princi-
| paily because, as he says, the police court
| IS naturally the place where such matters
| should bc settled. and for the additional
! reason that, whether the applcatto.d for
! license be PASSED epon by the TX else board.
| the COmIni ssioncrs or any other body, the
| police department Is after all the author
ity depended upon 90 decide.
NEEDS POLICE ENDORSEMENT.
Not an application ran go through. he
said, without a Favorable report from tie
police lieutenant in charge or the precinct
In which the proposed saloon is 10 be
| located.
The argument is made that the police
court will have at hand al the data upon
which to Judgs of Il mans qualifications for
license under the Il ~ because his conJ.not
OF his business Is un;lsr cnnSt-,n. SCRUTINY.
It is known that Assistant Attorney Pngh
is favorable to the ohlnge. and that he
openly advoclses is. 1; is q part )r the
argument he advances that in nearly every
other ciiy OF any consequence in the United
States. the police court has supervision Of
the excise business. and he indorscs other
propositions IA favor OF the move, some of
which have been given above.
Judge Miller is said to favor the tra usfcr.
or. at any rate, approves of the general
proposition, TIA, ti.c police court should
| be charged with the administration OF the
excise laws. what Judge khnball may
think OF the matter is not known. blt ne is
10 be intervir wed by those Interested TO-
day with reference to it..
The Whole subject viii opeD up iIst as
soon as the proposed amendment comes
before the proper committee in the House
of Representatives.
FIGHTING HIGHER LICENSE.
The liquor men arr 20 man opposed to
an increase of the license fee, rs proposed
by the excise board and recommended by
the Commissioners. and there VIII be a
combined effcrt TO Iefeat tie amendment,
in connection with the advocacy of the
transfer.
The editorial in The Morning Times OF
yesterday aErnt the iiqnor trust, was the
subject OF a good deal Of comment s'stcr-
day, the line cf criticism being almost
identical with The position taken hy the
napcr, So far aS it relates Ia the proposed
increase OF The f,r to 81 .GCO per Jnnum.
\ gentleman who Is ciD,ely CONNECTED
with the liquor inierr,i il: several ways, and
who is in close touch with the retailers,
said yesterday that the dealers look upon
She movement fur high license as arli Firy
ard unjust ar' predict uhat it viii serve
to create q formidable trust than any
that has ever existed in the District.
ers OF the future. should the high license
prevail, will bc no more responsible nor
les, Objectionable In any sense than they
are now.
sThc retailers feel now. he said, that
under the present Law the excise board
mas full control ever all applications. If
Il man has in any sense proved To be un-
worthy. his license may be refused.
WILL NOT HELP THE DISTRICT.
Now, in the matter of revenue" he
said, 1.-The District win he no better Off.
The number of saloons viii be reducel,
because at the present rate of fees 4 great
many retailers find il almost Impossible
to make anything. What would it be
with the fees adv3 to 81 900?
.'If the excise board or the Commission
ers, or anybody else in authority. sup
posing they have authority, choose TO
reduce the number of saloons on the
ground that there are too many or that
any are disreputable, let them exercise
their power.
The excise board has, however. IL
censed place that is notoriously one of
the worst dives in the city. The proprietor
conforms to the law, the board does its
duty Under the law. and the party gets
a license. OF course when the facts in the
case become known, f they ever do.
that license will be refused, or, if issued,
will be revoked.
Understand. / make no criticism OF the
board. 1t is composed of honorable, con-
scientious gentlemen, as l sincerely be-
.ieve: but perhaps if that applicant had
to go before the police court for
license there would he an overhauling
of the records such as the excise board
can not make"
The sessions of the District Committee
OF the House are likely, from the present
outlook, TO be of a decidedly lively char
acter.