Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1910-04-14
COMMITTEE HOLDS HEARING
Provision Prescribing Prohibited
Zone Is Hard Fought.
DR.. w00DR0w's NOVEL IDEA
Wants Revenues Used to Build and
Maintain Inebriate Asylum and
to Support Patients Families.

During a public hearing before the SEN
ate District committee this morning, In
the Senate Office building, Senator Gal
! linger's bill Ito better regulate the liquor
traffic" was both praised and denounced
| Representatives of temperance and
church organizations crowded the hearing
room and their spokesman condemned the
present law and urged the substitution of
| the proposed bill as model excise law
for the District In opposition there ap-
peared representatives of the saloon in
| terests, of personal liberty" organiza-
| tions and of other societies.
| The bill means determination of the
| liquor traffic in the District, rather than
| regulation, contended those opposed to
the bill. Its friends admitted that 1t
would put out Of business many of the
present places of business where intoxi-
| cants are sold.
Hearing Is Begun.
Long before the hearing began the
hearing room was crowded with the
friends and opponents of the bill. 1t
was promptly at 10 o'clock that Sena-
tor Gallinger. chairman of the Senate
District committee, called the session
to order
He announced that each side-friends
and opponents of the bill-would have
an hour in which to present their
views E. c. Dinwiddie, national elec-
toral superintendent of the Good Tenn
plars, was present to direct the defense
Of the bill, and Hugh F.. Harvey. sec
retary of the Washington Mercantile
Association, was on hand to direct the
opposition.
Emmett L. Adams, former president Of
i h Ivv1fD nrlr4 Co.
opportunity to present the views Of the
members Of the labor unions In the city.
After he announced that it was opposed
to the bill. Mr.. Harvey. granted him per-
mission to occupy some OF the time
awarded the oppositien- = -1ss-s
SE. C. Dinwiddie was the first to speak.
He directed his attention at first to the
provisions Of the bill, pointing out the
differences between 1t and the present
law. The BILL he explains, proposes q
board, composed Of the District assessors,
and which, he pointed out. has for its
membership men appointed to raise the
revenues for the District, the bill pro-
poses to have board composed of the
Judge Of the Juvenile Court, health off,
Ger and one of the inspectors of police.
He declared that practically ali the new
features of the bill are in effect in sew
eral parts of the United States. He
called attention to the proposed reduce
ton of hours that saloons in the Ma
tional Capital can remain open. The bill
proposes to limit the sale of liquor be-
tween Z am. and 10 pm.
THE present ridiculous hours that sa-
looms can keep open under present law
are from am. to IL midnight-twenty
hours out Of the twenty-fout,' remarked
Mr.. Dinwiddie.
The proposed bill, said the speaker
the sale of liquor to minors more en-
forceable. 1t is framed to absolutely
prohibit the sale of intoxicants to
minors, taking out of the present law
the word knowingly" which. he said.
has made 1t practically useless. The
saloonkeeper is also protected, he said,
because the bill proposes TO make 1t a
misdemeanOr for a minor to misrepre-
sent his or her age in order to get
liquor.
Prohibitory Zone Debated.
Another new feature of the bill is a
prohibition against the sale of liquor in
railway stations waiting rooms and
against the drinking of liquor on cars,
and Mr.. Dindiddie pronounced the provi-
sionS in this regard as excellent. He
called attention TO the recent fatal shoot
ing affray on train near Wilmington,
which the speaker said, was due to an
overindulgence in intoxicants. He also
favored the provisions to prevent so-called
fake clubs and against the growler
trade.
Section 16 was the subject of much
discussion. II was explained that the
section proposes to prohibit the licensing
of iiGuorselling places within LOCO feet
of public schoolhouse, public park or
public playground, or any place of re-
| iigious worship. Under present law the
| prohibition zone extends only within 400
feet Of churches.
This section provides:
That license for any of the pur-
poses specified in any section Of this act,
including hotels and clubs, shall not be
granted to any person to conduct such
business within 1000 feet Of public
| schoolhouse owned or occupied as a whole
| or In part by the District of Columbia,
public park public Fairgrounds, any
| private school. college university. or
| any place of religious worship owned or
| occupied a whole or In part by re-
| ligious society or organization for regu-
| lar public worship, measured between
the nearest entrance to each by the short
est course of travel between such place
of business and public schoolhouse, public
park. public playground. or any private
| school, college or university or place of
| religious worship: nor shall any license
1 be granted for any place confronting the
| Capitol grounds or the grounds immedi-
building or buildings owned or controlled
by the United States or District of CO.
| lumbia for public purposes. or located di-
rectly opposite any government reserva-
ton: Provided. That no license shall be
| granted to any hotel with less than fifty
| bona fide bedrooms for guests: And pro-
vided further, That no license be granted
to sell intoxicating liquors, including beer
ale and wine. in any station or waiting
room or depot of any steam or electric
railroad or other carrier for the trans.
portation of passengers within the Dis
trict Of Columbia"