Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1904-04-09
HOW THE RUI.E WORKS
VIEWS OF THE PRESIDENT OF
LIQUOR DEALERS. ASSOCIATION.
Says Association Sees No Reason Why
Legitimate Clubs Should Not Sell
Liquor at All Times.

hours on Sunday, has proved of no benefit
to the city and works hardship on the
members.
The excise laws of the District of Co.
lumbia provide that the excise board may.
in its discretion, issue license to any duly
Incorporated club on the petition of the
officers of the club, and that the board may,
in it's discretion, grant a permit to such
club to sell intoxicating liquors to mem
bers and guests between such hours as the
board may designate. Under this authority,
as clubs were heretofore chartered in the
District and applied for permits to sell
liquor. the board issued the necessary Ii
cense when it saw fit and at the same time
fixed the hours between which the bar
could be kept open
Up to January 20 many of the clubs were
compelled to close their bars at l am,
while others were allowed to remain open
until as late as am. On that date, how
ever, after hearing on the subject, the
excise board issued the following order:
Hereafter no permit shall be granted to
any incorporated licensed club in the Dis
trict of Columbia under section of the ex-
else law. approved March 3, 1898. to give
sell, dispense or in any manner dispose of
any intoxicating liquor or liquors to any
member his guest between the hours OF
1890 o'clock am. and a m. daily on secu-
lar 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 any mem
Der or his guest before o'clock am, nor
between the hours of 10 am. and L pm,
nor after midnight on said day..
Object of the Order.
The effect of this order was supposed to
be to have the clubs close up half an hour
after the saloons each week day and re-
main closed during the usual hours of
church services on Sunday.
Members of clubs and officers of clubs
with whom a reporter for The Evening
Star talked on the subject say that the
early closing hour is a hardship and that
the closing of the bar on Sunday had no
effect in making man go to church, as
appeared to have been the idea of those
framing the regulation. And again, 1t IS
claimed that a mans clup is TO certain
extent his home certainly in the case or I'M
married men, and it is felt that the bar Is
run for his convenience just the same as
If he kept a decanter on his sideboard, and
they believe they should have access to
the bar as easily and at such times as 1t
would be possible to have access to the
decanter were the man actually in his own
house.
AS matter of fact it is claimed that
many of the clubs have living rooms and
cafes that are taken advantage OF by out
of-town members and by local members at
various times. and these members say they
should not be restricted from going or
sending to the bar when they see fit and
take whatever they choose to drink.
The Boards Decision.
Club men point out the fact that the ex-
else board has discretionary powers in fix
ing the closing hours of the bars in the
various clubs and claim that where 1t can
be shown that legitimate club is suner'hg
a hardship by the closing of the par the
hours should be extended.
At the excise board 1t was said there hao
been little or no complaint against the new
rules. Two of the clubs. 1T was stated,
have made application for extension OF
hours. but no action has been taken on the
applications.
1t has been intimated in fact in some In
stances charged. that the action of the
excise board in changing the regulations In
regard to the sale of LIQUOR in CLUBS and re-
stricting the number of hours in which the
bars in these institutions may be kept open
was due in large measure to the initiative
and opposition Of the Retail Liquor Dealers
Association of the District of Columbia II
is claimed in many quarters that the asso-
citation through it's officers opposed the
clubs through Jealous motives and that as
a result of pressure brought to bear there
was the change in the regula tons now in
vogue.
Views of Mr.. Harvey.
In talking over this phase of the matter
with a reporter for The Evening Star, Mr..
Hugh F. Harvey, president of the local as
ISOLATION of retail LIQUOR dealers, expressed
indignation that such a charge should have
been brought against his organization.
1.-The members of the Retail Liquor Deal
ers' Association have not the slightest OBJ
lection in the world to any legitimate club
in the District of Columbia keeping open its
bar during every hour Of the twentyfour,'
said Mr.. Harvey What we do object to is
the sale of LIQUOR after hours in the bar
rooms that are doing business under the
guise Of clubs.
II am of the opinion that a mans club
should be the same to him az his own
home, and that he should be allowed to
take advantage of its pleasures and COM
fort at any and all times. What is club,
anyhow? In my opinion 1t is an institu-
ton where a man can make his home,
should he see fit, and, as matter of fact.
many people do; place where he can get
something to eat, a place to sleep should
he desire it, something to drink, his books.
his papers and such like-in plain words,
home. In such piaces-and there are
number in this city-there is no reason why
the excise board should restrict the sale of
liquor to any hours. In fact. am of the
with such clubs is entitled to take his drink
or his meal at such time as he desires, as
long as the rules of the club fix those hours
to suit him.
bar is not the principal part of the institu-
ton. It is only an incident, just as is de-
canter the sideboard at home where he
can take his drink whenever he desires to-
"Under the Guise Of Clubs"
But, on the other hand, there are
number of places in this city operating un-
der the guise Of clubs where the bar is the
principal source Of revenue, and at no time
can one of the members obtain anything
to eat, place to sleepior any of the COM
forts for which man, usually becomes
member Of a legitimate club. Such clubs
are in many instances operated by two or
three men who have obtained a charter
and get the benefit of all the profits, while
in other instances the bar privilege Of
some Of the organizations is leased to some
individual for what he can make out of 1t.
Legitimate clubs find 1t necessary to
have membership fees of from twenty-five
to several hundred dollars per year in
order that the support OF the institution
may be assured. In many of the alleged
clubs membership can be obtained by any
body upon the payment of one dollar
year. This dollar entities him to card
which will admit of his getting into the
club at any time and buying his drinks.
"The Liquor Dealers Association Is In
favor OF having the rules governing the
legitimate clubs so fixed that the members
will be free to take such drinks as they