Evening star., 1899-01-02


New Jersey avenue and ID street. Nellie
Crow, colored. was fatally burned by the
explosion of lamp on the 9TH, and on the
10Th Mrs. Mary b. Throckmorton died from
lnhaling gas few days before.
Alexandria County.
About the middle of February the dis
covery was made by the local authorities
that gambling, which it was thought had
been entirely suppressed, had again become
rampant. After considerable energetic
| action on the part of those intrusted with
| the execution of the laws. the objection
able places We're again closed. During Oc-
| tober the hulk of the burned steamer Mary
Washington was purchased by SOM parties
with the view of fitting ii up as a gam
| blers' headquarters. A week later there
| was an outbreak of lawlessness at Ross
| lyn. The new court house for Alexandra
county was dedicated November 10.
Liquor Regulations.
| Members of the excise board as well as
the Anti-Saloon League and the police have
all displayed activity in questions relating
to the liquor interests. QUESTIONS of inn
portance concerning different provisions Of
| the liquor law have been raised and settled
by the courts. Early in the year the Anti
| Saloon League held its annual meeting al
| Foundry Church and later a series of ia
| terestIng lectures was given under the aus
| pices of the league at Mount Vernon
| Church. In August the league critics ID
| the action of the excise board in granting
| license for the sale OF liquor at road
| house. The question of how measurema ants
should be made Where saloons were to be
| located near schools, churches or the mile
| limit was settled by the Court of Appeals.
| This had been a disputed question ever
| since the enactment of the liquor law.
Counsel for dealer contendCd that the
| M eaSurements should be made by the route
| over which pedestrians walked. On the
other hand. it was contended that measure
| ments should be made by airline or as the
| crow flies. This latter method had been
| adopted by the excise board, and the court
held that ii was The proper way Of making
| measurem mis-, sustaining the Districts po-
sition in the matter. Another decision OF
! interest was one rendered by one of the
| Judges of the Supreme Court, in which ii
| was held that the court had not thu right
to pass upon the work of the excise board.
| Under this decision there is virtually 10
appeal from the board ) action. There is
| now pending in Congress what is commpuly
known the Pugh bill, regulating the
liquor traffic in the District. This bill was
| r1VSed by Prosecuting Attorney Pugh, ana
was made to contain all the laws now in
force as well as new provisions OF interest.
| 1t is considered one of the best liquor laws
ever attempted to be framed in the Dis
trIct, as it is intended to meet all ques-
tiCns and conditions. The bill was reported
favorably by the Commissioners. During
the month of June, when there were so
| many volunteer soldiers in the city from
Camp Alger and other places, an att mpt
was made to revive old law prohibiting
the sale of liquor to soldiers. Saloon keep
ers were notified that the law was still in
/ force, but although many of tn m con-
tinued to sell to soldiers, none of them were
prosecuted. Pecause of the activity of the
: Anti-Saloon League, the excise board was
| forced to make a new ruling in cases
where applications rejected. 1t had
: been the custom to pass unfavorably upon
applications, the action to take effect at a
future date. When this mode of conduct
ing business was Investigated it resulted in
, | a decision that the applicant could not con-
I tirue his business after unfaVorable action
had been taken. Prosecutions for the iile-
gal traffic in liquor have been about the
same as for several years past, but only a
few cases involving violations of incide:ta
regulations by saloon keepers have beer
tried. Considering the trouble that is usual
ly experienced in making liquor cases, thf
police have made a good record during the
past twelve months.
Suffrage Movement.
The agitation of the extension of the righ
1 | of suffrage to citizens of the District o.
I Columbia was continued during the year
y a bill was introduced in Congress, which
+, is still pending, providing for the settle men
; | of the question by vote of the citizens O
/ the District. Many political clubs and asso
| Citations passed resolutions faVoring the res
r toraton of the voting privilege here, ant
i | the American Federation of Labor, at il
9 | annual convention in Kansas City, resolves
r TO memorialize Congress to extend franchis
. 20 the District. the local Federation of La
|, | Dor having previously reached the sam
9 | determination.
|. Fish and Game.
/, Very gratifying advances were made dur
= ing the year toward the better protection O
q game and fish in the District of Columbia
: and the laws already in force were vigoT
s ously enforced, many violator5 being ar
/ rested and tined. The District Game an
: Fish Protective Association did diligent SCI
l. vice in securing the passage by the Hous
e in January of a bill governing the KILN
r or possession of quail, woodcock. pheasant:
e snpe plover, wild ducks, geese. ortolaT
Y reed birds and blackbirds. and rabbits an
l. squirrels. The pollution of the Potomac b
= reason of the existence of wOod-pulp mill
II along its upper shores was also brought |
d the attention Of Congress.
The lovers of sport enjoyed an eXceller
d season in fishing. while the abundance &
F | fall game was greater than for many year
l. Labor News.
- =, AT the annual meeting of the Central Ii
Y. Dor Union in January President Milfor
g Spohn declined a third reelection and MOI
N man C. Sprague was chosen to succeed hin
v rhe standing committees of the c. L. l
III III for the year were announced week late
- - On the 21st the labor bodies made known
Congress what legislation they desire'
H. H. Early in February the House committee o
~ on the eight-hour bill. The Central Lab
le Union indorsed the bill a few days late
ie and on the same day the views of Distri,
p Commissioner Black on the subject wei
IL made known. A protest was filed with Cor
Al gress March 81 against the use of machir
IN presses in the bureau of engraving an
rd printing. April the House committee g
n labor made a favorable report on the eigh
lie hour bill, and this was adopted. The Sci
TX ate subcommittee granted hearing on Il
il enforcement of the eight-hour bill June
of The views of labor people on the work
he the industrial commission were published
SIS The Star October TO- November % NJ
as Samuel tiompers suggested matters for LEI
so islation to President Mckinley.
he DISTRICT AFFAIRS.
ue The personnel of the board of Dstri,
ID J Commissioners was changed during =
d. year by the detachment of Lieut.. Col WI
ly NJ Black Engineer Commissioner at h
oh own request. who had applied for actN
,e' duty in connection with the war with Spai
lie | and the designation of Capt. Lansing
at | Beach as his successor This change in IL
IS | board took place last May, Captain Beach
| lotf fro, Ttrna |