Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-03-15
VOTES FOR A CHANGE
MASS MEETING DECLARES FOR
NEW EXCISE BOARD.

By a unanimous vote last night a mass
meeting. held in Union NJ E. Church, of
those interested in the Hansbrough bill be-
fore Congress. providing for new excise
board for the District, adopted resolutions
in favor of the bill and appointed a COM
mittee to bring the resolutions to the atten-
ton of the Commissioners, with the request
that they give the bill their support The
committee which will meet the Commission
ers is composed of Rev. S, Reese Murray,
w. F. Downey. Dr. C. c. Doney, DR.. w E.
Deriemer and Mrs. Clinton Smith
A motion v-as also carried at the meet
ing, which expressed the sentiment of those
present, that the enactment of the Webber
bill favoring absolute prohibition in the
District, is desired. This resolution VII
be presented to the House District commit
tee by Arson S. Taylor, Rev. S. Reese Nun
ray, w. F. Downey, DIR. w. Z Deriemer
and Mrs. Clinton Smith.
Ii was suggested last night that other
mass meetings, with the purpose in view of
showing that public sentiment is in favor of
the new excise board and to arouse public
feeling in that direction, should be held
throughout the city in the various churches
Rev. Carl G.. Doney, pastor of the Ham
line M E. Church. extended an invitation
for the next meeting to be held at his
church next Sunday night, and the invita-
ton was accepted.
At the meeting last night the system of
having the excise board made up of the
District assessor and three assistants was
strongly criticised.
The more stringent enforcement of a
more stringent law" was the keynote of
the discussion. Rev. S. Reese Murray, pas
tor of the Union NJ E. Church, presided,
and several prominent anti-saloon speakers
addressed the gathering, which was fairly
we'll attended.
Mr.. B1akemore Assigns Reasons.
After the purpose of the meeting had been
outlined, Rev. d. L. Blakemore, pastor of
the Epwsrth NJ E. Church South, gave
Hansbrough bill. That measure provides
that instead of having the excise board
composed of four of the District assessors
it shall consist of three men, appointed BY
the President, holding their office for three
Years and subject to removal for cause
The fundamental reason for the bill he
SAID, was to remove the excise board from
the revenue department of the District
government. The people should demand
that the liquor business he put on its merit
and must prove its merit for a license be-
fore an Independent board, not men who
are chiefly engaged in obtaining revenue
for the District In Baltimore, he said, the
three members of the board are APPOINTED
excise boards appointed by the mayor; in
Pennsylvania, the judges of the county
courts issue the licenses. The attack, no
said, was directed against the system, not
the present board
Mr.. Blakemore suggested that the present
board. composed of the assessor and his
assistants is oyerburdened with work so
that it cannot give full hearir. to applica-
tons for licenses. 1t is composed of four
men, he said, and he regarded it as IN
awkward body. The chairman being the
District assessor and as such designa ting
which ones of his assistants shall eonsti-
tute the board. ought not to have such
control over membership of the board I'm
der the present system, too, the position Is
one for life. almost. For these various rea-
sons he advocated the Hansbrough bill
Other Addresses.
Mrs, Ellen Spencer Mussey, who was the
next speaker, took up what she charac-
teriZed as some of the ICactices Of the
present board. She went before the board
she said, and represented that 1t had al
lowed a saloon to be established near her
property and had therefore reduced it's
value and she wanted the assessment re-
duced. The appeal was from their de-
cision as an excise board.
IF YOU would all make complaints to the
chief of police, who is known to be a squal .
man, whenever you see violation of the