Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1910-03-23
Excise Board Learning of
LaW-Defying Saloons.
CITIZENS GIVE UP FACTS
Many Licenses Endangered by Ar
ray of Testimony.
SOME GOING OUT OF BUSINESS
Meanwhile, Liquor Selling Keeps
Within Bounds Under Police Sur
veillance. and Good Order
Reigns.

veillance. and Good Order
Reigns.
Strict enforcement of the excise law in
every direction has followed The Stars
crusade against the resorts where here
tofore young. wayward girls have been
focking every evening to drink liquor in
an atmosphere of the half-world which
lies between the upper and lower crusts OF
society.
Dives where drinks could have been
bought at any time OF the day or night.
week days and Sundays, have been run
ming on the most approved lines The no.
tells and near hotels which have been ac-
commodating enough to serve a guest on
Sunday have decided that hereafter
when man wants a Sunday drink he
will have to be a real guest, In COM
pliance with what the decisions Of the
courts have outlined
Quiet Where Disorder Reigned.
So 1t has not only been the drinking
halls where girls have been privileged to
drink. regardless of their age and regard
less OF the law on the subject, which have
quieted down. Those noted and brilliant
~ lighted places which were once as con
spicuous with their evenings briliiancy as
the lighthouses of a dark and rocky coast
are now conspicuous because of the ali
sence of that particular brand of enter
tainment which grew out OF the freedom
from restraint which evening OF riot
produced in a group OF young girls.
Members of the excise board are cen
tinualiy hearing of resorts on which they
had their suspicious fastened, but from
which no reports of disorder or violations
of the excise law In regard to minors had
been reported. Letters are being written
giving complaints against all sorts OF sa-
looms and cafes.
Citizens Asked to Report.
A member of the board said this morn
ing that the complaint of any citizen OF
the District, if it carried with it the real
sort of evidence which nails a man to the
wall. will be considered carefully.
In proof or this, the excise board has
case where man under oath testined
to the fact that his sxteen-year-old
daughter was a nightly frequenter OF a
certain drinking dive of notorious mem
DRY. This mans evidence was not in
court. but before the excise board. 1t
helped close up place where the pro-
prietor had seemingly studied how he
could break the law into many pieces
as he possibly could in a weeks time.
Two Going Out of Business.
There are stories reaching the excise
board to the effect that some men COM
planned OF are going out of business or
will change the character of their bust
ness. One of these would have had q
hard time to get q license next year, IL
the opinions of the excise board members
are the same next fall as they are now
Another is man who says he wants t.
go into the restaurant business The
excise board got bti of evidence yester-
day of the sort that kills license and
which would directly affect the continu-
ance of saloon license against this par
ttcular offender.
Another place which is running with
low cash receipts. and known to be a
conspicuous violator Of nearly every
prohibitory passage in the excise law.
10 now an ideal spot to observe the
obedience to the law. According to a
member OF the excise board, this place
would run open practically all night
All-Night Session.
Two or three weeks ago, it is told
at the District building. this place
hushed it's orchestra one night at i
o'clock. and. locking its doors, kept u
crowd there for several hours. One of
the party went away at 4 o'clock in the
morning. after being able to buy drinks
In violation of the law since closing
time, at midnight.
This matter was reported to the ex-
else board. not by policeman, but by
a private citizen.
Another member of the board said
this morning that in his opinion ali that
is needed to maintain strict obedience
to the law Is surveillance. The board
does not believe that closing up six
places this year will prevent six othel
from violating the Law next year. or. AZ
least, that closing up law-defying
saloons by the excise board without
the constant watchfulness OF the police
will entirely mend the matters that The
Star has complained of.
Letters Of Approval
Endorsement of the crusade for the en-
forcement Of the excise laws is given in
the following letters to The Star:
To the Editor of The Star:
The Baptist Ministers Conference in
common with other citizens and religious
workers of the District Of Columbia, de-
sires to thank The Star for its recent re-
posures of the debauchery practiced upon
the youth of this city, and would re-
specially petition the authorities to
push vigorously an inquiry into the con-
ditiOns disclosed, and to bring prompt
~ 10 the oar Oh justice tnOSe alQlng ana
abetting the present infamy.
JAMES W. MANY
Secretary, Baptist Ministers Conference.
To the Editor of The Star:
l desire to thank you for the manly
courageous manner in which you have
taken up the cudgel against some evil
practices SO common in our city. 1t is
gratifying to know that there Is one
paper that has the courage to speak
out.
The truths which you have brought
forth in so convincing a manner are re-
voting and shocking beyond expression
1t seems too bad that these places can.
not be more easily reached and punished
for their iagrant violation Of the law
1t is hard to believe that a man car
become so sordid as to make this !.
means of gaining a livelihood. 1t seem
to point to the need for the passage 81
the Gallinger-Bennet bill, which law Wi.
render some relief at least.
It is high time that something be dor.
to stop this slaughter of the innocent
If you could know some of the sad cases
with which we ministers of Washington
have to DEAL as a result OF this iniquit .
you would not feel in the least that yo.
were solecistic in this exposure
Let the good work go on, and be sure
that for one / greatly appreciate yorr
efforts to save the young of this far
city.
Wishing you success, I am,
w. l.. LYNN.
Pastor of Gorsuch NJ. E. Church
TEMPERATURE GOING UP.