Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1904-01-21
NEW RULE FOR CLUBS
HOW THE EXCISE BOARDS ORDER
is RECEIVED.
Several of the Organizations Oppose
and May Make Contest
Others Acquiesce.

The attitude of the various clubs OF Wash.
ington relative to the order issued by the
District excise board late yesterday after
noon. fixing the hours within which the
clubs may be allowed to sell and dispense
intoxicating liquors, does not seem to be
identical in all cases. Some of the clubs.
through their members and attorneys. have
expressed opinions strongly in opposition to
the new restrictions. while the members and
officers of other organizations have signi-
fed their inclination TO acquiesce in the
order of the excise board.
The text of the rule adopted by the excise
board yesterday is as follows:
That hereafter no permit shall be granted
to any Incorporated licensed club in the Dis
trict of Columbia under section of the
excise law, approved March g. 1898, to give,
sell, dispense or in any manner dispose of
any Intoxicating liquor or Liquors to any
member or his guest between the hours Of
12.30 o'clock am. and o clock am. daily
on secular days.
THAT on Sundays no permit shall be
granted to any licensed club to give. sell.
dispense or in any manner dispose of any
intoxicating liquor or liquors TO member
or his guest before O'Clock am, nor be-
tween the hours of 10 o clock am. and L
O'Clock pm, nor after midnight on said
day"
Not Heretofore Uniform.
Heretofore the time within which the
clubs have been allowed to sell and dis
pense liquors has not been uniform, but
each individual club has been granted a
license to sell intoxicating beverages with
In certain hours specified in its particular
permit The hours have ranged from about
Z am. to l am, but in some cases the
time of closing has been later. In the
case of the Iroquois Club, for instance, the
permit issued last year allowed the or
ganization to dispense liquors until 3 a m.
This privilege was granted because 1t was
stated by the club oificerS that great
many of its members were newspaper men,
who finished their work at a late hour of
the night, or early in the morning, and &C.
casionally desired to obtain liquid refresh
mentS several hours after midnight.
1t has been the custom in former years
for the clubs to specify in their applica-
tons for license the hours within which
they might be permitted to sell liquor and
the board has usually acceded to the re-
quest contained in the applications. There
have been no special restrictions. in for
years. relative TO the sale of liquor
by the clubs on Sundays
Mr. H. II. Darneille, chairman of the eX-
else board stated today that the action
taken by the board yesterday afternoon
was decided upon several days ago and
that the matter has been under considera-
ton by the board for several months. The
members of the board considered that the
restrictions would tend to prevent a vio-
lation of the spirit of the liquor law on the
part OF some Ol the CLUBS. win respect 10
sales after midnight and on Sundays, and
also that the rule would furnish
more equitable and fair basis for the con-
duct OF the liquor business in the District.
Only Affects Sales.
Some of the members of various club
CARNATIONS seem to have been under the
impression that the new order relating to
Sunday sales of liquor required the clubs
to remain closed between the hours of 10
am and l pm. on Sundays. This. il is
stated. is not the meaning of the new order.
The restriction is with regard to the sale
and dispensing of liquor by the clubs be-
tween those hours, and does not require the
clubs to remain closed
The rumor was curI ent today that num-
Der of the clubs opposing the new order
intend to request the excise board to grant
them a hearing on the subject. They con-
slider that the clubs should have been heard
before the issuance of the rule. The mem
bers Of the excise board. when questioned
with regard to the possibility of their grant
ing a hearing on the matter If such is re-
quested. stated that they consider their
action as final and do not believe a hear
ing would cause them to reconsider their
decision.
1t is understood that the board will an
prove under the rule about three
fourthS of the applicat lions for licenses pre-
scented by the clubs without any hearing on
their applications. a great many of the
licenses will proba bly, be granted within the
yesterday afternoon on the application of
the 1rouuois Club, against which a protest
had been filed. The board has not as vet
announced its decision in this Gas