Evening star., 1909-05-27
MANAGER WOOllENS ARREST
RIGHT OF RIVER BOATS TO SELL
LIQUOR INVOLVED.
District Excise Board Without Au-
thority to Grant Licenses-County
Officials May Act.

Considerable interest is being displayed
| by the local authorities in the arrest
last Sunday of l.. ]. Woollen, manager
| of the excursion resort at River View,
charged with violation of the liquor law,
his arrest raising a question which in
wolves the right of steamboat companies
! to sell liquor on the river without a
license. 1t is stated that there is no
| question of Sunday selling involved in
the prosecution, although the arrest was
made Sunday.
The same question was raised in the
District of Columbia last year. arising
| in case In which the manager of a
steamboat applied for license to en-
gage in the liquor traffic. Corporation
vorabfe to the applicant in that case.
holding that the excise board was with
out authority to grant such license.
1t was pointed out in that decision that
the waters of the District Of Columbia
were not mentioned in the act, and there
fore no license covering the water could
be granted
Attorney Thomas gave the information
| that the terms of the law provided that
licenses should be granted, for places
other than on the waters, and the alb
sence of reference to the waters he held
means that 1t has to be taken that the
legislators omitted such reference In
| tentionally. He referred to the exception
made to hotel proprietors.
May Have to Get Licenses.
| Should the Prince George county au-
thorities continue to make arrests on
| the Potomac river for such alleged vio-
lations. it is believed, the steamboat COM
panies engaging in the liquor traffic will
be forced to apply to the county excise
board for licenses. T. Howard Duckett
chairman of the excise board of Prince
| George county, said to a Star reporter
that he knew nothing about the arrest OF
| Capt. Woollen.
Il have no idea what was the object
| in making the arrest" he stated, ''nor
| do I know what is to be done In the
future. I do think. however, that under
steamboat companies are liable for the
tirey different from the liquor law in
| force in this city. and l think the county
board has authority to grant licenses
permitting the sale of liquor on boats.''
Should the steamboat companies be
! forced to take out liquor licenses in
Prince George county they may also be
| forced 10 pay the tax in other coun.
ties. There are three counties in Mary
land between this city and the mouth
Of the river, but not all Of the boats. IL
is stated. go as far as st. Mary county
so that they Would have to have H.
| censes In only Prince George and Charles
counties.
1t is stated that bars on some Of the
river steamers are not opened until the
boats get outside the District waters
while with others walters are ready to
serve liquid refreshments as soon as the
boats pull away from the wharves. anG
that the only license they have is thai
| obtained from the internal revenue bu
reau.
Cases Filed Last Summer.
Last summer cases charging violation
of the District excise laws were flee
against practically all OF the steamboat
companies running boats equipped witt
bars from local wharves They were OBJ
| tained and sworn to by the officers Of the
| harbor police and were based upon af
f1davits from civilians.
The cases hung fire for some time, anc
| finally were nolle pressed at the instance
of the District Commissioners upon the
promise by the steamboat companies, l,
was stated today by Assistant Corpora
tion Counsel James l.. Pugh. that the
conditions complained Of would be elimi