Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1897-11-11
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Municipal Authorities VIII Prosecute Viola
tors Of Gift Enterprise Law.
Police Instructed to Lend Assistance
Action Pending q Decision
by the Courts.


all violators of the gift enterprise law by
the use Of trading stamps or otherwise are
to be vigorously prosecuted. and that there
is to be no suspension of the machinery OF
the law while the test case is pending in
the Court of Appeals. AS he has hereto
fore expressed himself, Assistant District
Attorney for the District James L. Pugh,
jr., is firmly of the opinion that the trading
stamp scheme is gift enterprise business
and therefore a violation of section lit Of
the Revised Statutes of the United States
having relation to the District of Columbia
He Is sustained in that view by the board OF
Commissioners of the District, and the sup
erfntendent of police has been directed to
assist the prosecuting attorney in unremft-
tin2ly calling to account and taking into
the Police Court all violators of the statute
Mr.. Pugh late yesterday afternoon called
at the District building and held a confer
ence with the Commissioners in regard to
the matter. The assistant attorney for the
District explained the situation as it ap-
peared to him, and the Commissioners
unanimously agreed with him and authoriz-
ed the vigorous continuance of the prose-
cutions.
Major William G. Moore Superintendent
of police, today called Cd Commissioner
Wight. The superintendent of police was
informed by Commissioner Wight that Mr..
Pugh mad been instructed to let it be known
to all merchants engaged in. the trading
stamp scheme that prosecutions will follow
every known instance of violation of the
law; II any merchant persists in engaging
IN the scheme after notification through the
press, Major Moore was informed. every
such merchant must answer in the Police
Court for SO doing.
DO you consider that You have been
authorized and directed to proceed in the
matter?" Maj. Moore was asked by a Star
reporter. THAT is, will your officers take
Offenders against the gift enterprise law
"a Stn l.
oath to informations, charging them with
violating the law?''
''Of course. that is my understanding"
replied the superintendent Of police.
Will Issue Warrants.
Assistant District Attorney Pugh was
asked in regard to his plans this afternoon
by Star reporter.
Since the judge of the Police Court has
ruled against the Washington Trading
Stamp Company and merchants who en-
gage in the trading stamp scheme said
Mr.. Pugh, lit follows a matter of course
unless and until that decision is reversed
that the character of business in question
comes within the provisions OF law pro-
hibiting gift enterprises. 1t therefore be-
comes my duty to issue warrants on proper
aff1daV1tS OF complaint for the arrest of
persons continuing the business, pending
the decision of the Court of Appeals.
Until the decision of the judge of the
IOl1ce court Is reversed, continued MI
Pugh, section HI of the revised statutes
is the established law of this District, and
being the established law, of course, my
duty is to enforce it and l propose to do
so, as l have said since the matter was
first called to my attention"
L would prefer that people. now engag-
ing in this business, since the decision of
the Police Court, should cease further oper-
atoms until their rights and privileges are
finally determined by the higher court
iS
Pleasant for me to prosecute anyone but
1 must enforce the law"
suppose an affiCaVit is presented to You
this afternoon tomorrow" inquired the
reporter, will you issue a warrant i'm
mediately thereafter"
Most certainly was the reply "No
reason exists why this law should not be
enforced the same as the others in the
statute book"
1t is said at the Police Court that the
hnes imposed by Judge Scott Monday last
In the case of Messrs. Joseph A. Sperry,
manager of the Washington Trading
Stamp Company, and Gustave Lansburgh
OF the firm of Lansburgh & Brother were
OILY 800 each in view of the fact that the
issue was brought as A test case: that a
fine as high as 1000 is provided together
with Imprisonment, in the courts discre-
ton, and that an offender convicted and
fined who continues thereafter to give
stamps may be taken into court again AMI
again, and fined, in fact, for every stamp
given.
Stamp Appeal Set for Hearing
The hearing of the writ of error in the
trading stamp case, coming up from the
Police Court, was today set down
by the Court of Appeals, to occur i'm
mediately upon the conclusion of the hear
ing on the appeal taken by District Attor-
ney Davis in the matter of the appointment
of United States Commissioner Mills. The
Mills case, it is expected, will be concluded
Tuesday or Wednesday next.