Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1904-05-11
MUST CLOSE THE BAR
ORDER AFFECTING NATIONAL
HOTEL.
Failure to @ssss ~Hotsl License"
- Construed BY the Excise Board
Provision Of Law.

I The Distri& sexdse board at its session
this morning. rejected the application OF
the National Hotel for license to conduct
bar room ip the hotel. and this afternoon
an order was issued to the police depart
ment directing the officers to see that the
Oar at the hotel Is closed at l. O'Clock to-
night and not again opened until further
orders.
80. II IS learned atsthe District building that
the National Hotel has not yet been grant
ed license ASA hotel for the current year
py the District authorities. The ground
upon which the excise board refused to is
sue a license for bar room In the hotel, II
Is understtoods Is that the board did not
consider 1t could properly grant liquor
Incense for hotel which is not legally con-
stituted as SUCH -
from inquiry sat the District building the
TACT developed that the National Hotel
was not granted a license as hotel for
ioU5 either. The reason for withholding a
notet license. It is stated. is due to the
Ialure or Colonel o. G. Staples, the pro-
reGuiren ents OF the District building office
and the local fire department, with regard
70 nre protection, electrical wiring, etc. The
Duiiding inspector. 1t Is stated. in view of
TINS FIXTURE to comply with the require
ments has declined to certify to the asses
sor that the hotel is, in his opinion in
proper condition and entitled to license.
The District officials at the beginning of
the current license year took up the mat
ter of granting a license to this hosiery,
and Informed the proprietor that the re-
quirements of the building office should be
complied with. or legal proceedings would
be instituted. The proprietor, 1t Is charged,
failed to comply with the regulations
within the time limit specified, and the
case was brought into Police Court several
weeks ago. The attorney for Colonel
To- los, 6nrp 1,I krf.r
Ing of the case was postponed until the
Jury term begins.
The excise laws of the District provide
in substance that any established hotel or
tavern having a specified number Of rooms
for lodging guests shall always have the
right to obtain for itself a license for a
bar room on complying with the provisions
of the act. 1t appears that the authorities
construe the word 'established' to mean a
hotel that has complied with the legal re-
QufrementS and the regulations of the d. 8
trict. A hosiery without a license as a
hotel is not considered as legally "es-
tablished."
1t is pointed out that under the law the
action of the excise board in regard to
liquor licenses is final and conclusive. and
is not subject to review by the Commits
sioners or the courts The board acts In
dependently of the Commissioners In or
der to secure a reconsideration of a reject
ed application. the following procedure is
prescribed under section of the excise
laws:
eff any applicant for license desires
further consideration of his application af-
ter rejection. he may file with the excise
board motion clearly setting forth any
new or indebendant facts or reasons not
cumulative, upon which he desires such
considerations together with all the evil
dencs in support thereof And no rejection
will be reviewed Or reopened for cons!dera-
ton unless said motion accompanied by the
evidence fpresajd, shall be filed within
seven days FROM the date of rejection. ex-
cept by unanimous consent OF the board"