Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-12-10
CHANGE IN LIQUOR TRAFFIC
ATTORNEY FOR ANTI-SALooN
LEAGUE EXPRESSES VIEWS.
Thinks Congress Will Act at Present.
Session-Situation Near New
Union Station.

| Albert f. Shoemaker. attorney for the
Anti-Saloon League, is confident that
something will be done this winter to
! bring about radical change in the liquor
| traffic in this city. If the effort to secure
| prohibition does not succeed, the attorney
| thinks, Congress will make such radical
| changes in the avs regulating the sale
| of liquor that some of the present objec-
tionabe features will be eliminated. He
| is kept busy by the ri eat amount of work
necessary to push the prohibition meas
| ures, and at the same time keep tab on
| the work of the excise board In the mat
| ter of acting on applications for renewals
| of licenses. Mr.. Shoemaker Is preparing
| to oppose the renewals of the nlnety-n'ne
appllC atoms that We're held up by the eN-
| else board last week, and he will also make
vigorous objection to the issuance OF aAy
| new licenses.
Among the licenses held up are those
! of a number OF clubs. The question OF
| licensing SO many clubs is one that mas
| always peen of interest TO the FORCES OPP
| posed to drinking places, and the attorney
| intends to make stronger ngnt TINS year
| than heretofore. Should the excise poaro
| renew all the applications for club
licenses, Attorney Shoemaker says the
question of their manner OF doing busi-
ness will undoubtedly be regulated ~
| Congress.
| Il feel CERTAIN Mr. Shoemaker says,
that Congress will enact a law limiting
sales to midnight. which will stop the
practically all-night business. and ! hope
will put end To the Sunday tranc.
have good reason to believe that the hours
will be limited but ! don't know Just
what to expect from our efforts TO put q
stop to the Sunday traffic
Continuance of Clubs.
1t is the intention of the attorney and
members of the organization to make q
| strenuous fight against the continuance
| of the clubs where a nominal annual zee
| is charged; fee, the attorneys say, WHICH
is small enough for almost anybody to pay
and which places those who pay 1t In a
position to have pace wnere they may
| spend Sunday and obtain all the intoxlcants
| they desire. 1t is the opinion OF Attor-
ney Shoemaker that the number OF such
clubs is large enough to make Washington
almost an open Sunday town. Another
! feature of the Sunday business. he thinks,
| is the freedom which hotel proprietor
have in the matter of dispensing intoxi-
cants. The recording of name and pur-
chase of a sandwich, he says, seem to con.
stitute what the law terms bona nde
| guest.
I'm some other places" Mr.. Shoemaker
| remarked, "a hotel guest, for such pur-
| poses. has to be an individual who resioes
! certain number of miles from the city
| in which the hotel Is located. Such a
law here would remedy the evil as it now
exists. and would be the means OF stop
ping a great amount of the Sunday drink
ing"
Along the Bowery.
| 1t is stated that the excise board held
| up the cases of the clubs and many sa-
looms because of the request Of Attorney
Shoemaker, and for the further reason
that the police reported against some OF
| them. An effort was made by Attorney
Shoemaker to have the excise board reduce
| the number of saloons on Pennsylvania
| avenue between the Peace Monument and
| 10Th street, NJ street, Georgetown, and the
vicinity of 10Th and H streets Particular
stress was laid on the section of Penn
sylvania avenue known as the "Bowery,
| but the attorney was informed that he
| could expect no such reduction unless
| there were specific charges filed against
the holders of the licenses. Mr.. Shoe
maker pointed out that there are thirty
one saloons on Pennsylvania avenue be-
| tween list and 18th street and twenty-five
between Ith and 18th streets. He also ex-
planned that thousands of strangers In
| the city pass the saloons on that thor
oughfare annually. In addition to the
drinking places on the twelve blocks. Mr..
Shoemaker stated, there are six wholesale
| liquor places
Application was made to the excise
board yesterday for the transfer of the
| liquor license from the abandoned rail-
road depot at 9th and B streets to the new
Union station. There was only one sigma
ture to the application. it is stated, 1t be-
ing that of the superintendent of the
Washington Terminal Company, G. W.
Martin Attorney Shoemaker says he in
tends to make a vigorous fight against
the granting of the license. People of all
classes and conditions. he stated, go to
the Union station, and he thinks it is to
the interest of all concerned that no in
toxicants be dispensed there. He said
he had hoped to have dry zone about
the new station. but IL liquor is to be sod
inside the building he fears the excise
board could hardly be relied upon to take
action, which would eliminate saloons fac
| ing the plaza.
Facing the Plaza.
It is stated that there is already one
licensed retail place facing the plaza, and
one licensed wholesale place. The retail
license is held by the Plaza Hotel Com
pany while the wholesale license is held by a
grocer. The former has been held only
few years. but the latter, it is stated. has
been renewed each year for about a
quarter of a century.
| II am not going to give up the fight by
any means" Mr.. Shoemaker remarked.
at is my intention to ask for a hearing
when the board is ready to take up the
question of granting the, transfer asked"
! Several hotel companies. 1t Is said, are
contemplating erecting structures facing
the plaza. and. it is believed. each Of
them will ask for the privilege OF selling
LIQUOR The law regulating the granting
| of licenses to hotel proprietors is different
| from the sections under which licenses
for ordinary barrooms are granted, and, 1t
| is said, it may not be within the power
| of the board to reject such applications
| 10 hxrf ia