Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1911-11-06
MuIIowny and Pugh Ready to
Serve on Excise Board.
BILL is ORDERED DRAFTED
Preparation Of Measure Intrusted to
Assessor Richards.
TO PROVIDE FOR REFORMS
Larger Control Over Hotels One Of
the Innovations to Be Included
in the Bill.

Judges Mullowny and Pugh of the
Police Court, who have been suggested
by the District Commissioners as men,
| bers Of new excise board. today ex-
pressed themselves as being ready to
| undertake the additional duties which
| would devolve upon them
While the judges did not md It nee
essary to point out that in their daily
| duties on the bench they are brought
| into direct personal contact with many
OF the abuses which occur In the traf-
| fic In liquor in the National Capital,
| they did not hesitate to declare them
| selves in favor Of several changes in
present conditions.
| There are some phases Of the idea
which appeal particularly to me- said
| Judge Mullowny. ''Offhand 1t appears
that the suggestion Of the Commissioners,
II carried out, would do away with many
| Objectionable features of the present sys-
| tenn, and that would mark the accom-
plishment Of something in the right direc-
| ton" Judge Mulowny suggested also
several other points which impressed him
| favorably. but declared he had not given
| the matter sufficient thought to discuss
| 1t at length.
| Although he. too said he was not pre-
pared to discuss the question in detail,
Judge Pugh said: 1T appeals to me as
would result in changing existing con-
| ditions."
Assessor to Prepare Bill.
The District Commissioners today gave
further evidence of their confidence In
the members Of the excise board by au-
thorizing Assessor William P. Richards,
chairman of the board. to prepare the
bill embodying the proposed changes in
excise matters that the Commissioners
have decided on.
| Assessor Richards will commence the
task Immediately and expects to have the
| bill finished by the latter part of the
week. when il will be submitted to the
District heads and afterward. in all prob
ability, to Corporation Counsel Thomas
| for final revision.
Not only will the assessor include in
/ the measure provision for transferring
excise matters from the present board
| to board consisting of the two judges
| of the Police Court and the judge OF the
| Juvenile Court, which will be in accord
| ance with the direction OF the Commits
| Der of changes which he has from time
to time recommended In his annual re-
| ports.
Prior to the commencement Of the
| Kalbfus excise board investigation Mr..
Richards gave an interview to The Star.
| in which he declared that, II he were
| given an opportunity during the investi-
| cation, he would recommend that the
| excise board be given more control over
| hotels: that the word knowingly" be
stricken from the law regulating the sale
| of liquor to minors, and that stricter
provision be made for the regulation OF
| saloons which occupy corner sites.
To Be Included in Bill.
Mr. Richards today said that all OF
these recommendations, with few minor
ones. will be included in the bill which
he has been directed to prepare.
The principal provision will be that
giving the excise board more control over
hotels. Under the present law. If hotel
keeper secures q majority of the property
| owners on both sides of the street to
| sign his petition and can show that the
establishment will contain twenty-five
| rooms, the excise board is required to
| The proposed law. 1t Is said, will
not change the requisites with respect
| to number OF signers and rooms, but
it will give the excise board discretion
in the matter of granting a license
the same as it has with respect to sa-
looms. In other words. should the
character of the applicant or the To-
cation of the hotel be regarded as fur
nishing an objection to the granting
| of a license the board would have au-
thority to refuse 1t.
With respect to the word know
| ingly," the excise board, under the
present law, can turn down the applt-
cation of a saloon keeper II it should be
found that he had knowingly" sold
| liquor to a minor. Assessor Richards
believes that the board should have
the right to Investigate whether the
| saloon keeper made sufficient effort
| to determine the age of customer
who should be found afterward to be
a minor. He, accordingly. will con-
tain in the bill a clause striking out
the word knowingly"
AS to Corner Saloons.
Under the law at present an applicant
desiring to establish a saloon on a cor
ner lot is required to secure the sig
i natures of the majority OF property own
ers living only on the street on which
| the entrance to the saloon Is located. II
| is proposed to require the obtaining OF
| signatures OF property owners on both
streets, whether there be one or two en-
| frances to the saloon.
Speaking of the proposed legislation re-
garding hotels, Mr.. Richards today said
i Under this law we are compelled to
grant the proprietor of a hotel a license
il he can show the required number OF
| signers and rooms Some of these So
| called hotels are among the most dis
| reputable and vice-breeding resorts in the
| city. We have Investigated q number OF
them only to find that they are drinking
places. During the week few guests are
registered, but on Sundays several pages
| Of names of guests appear. The inference
| is obvious.
1.-The law ought to give to the excise
| board authority to take into considera-
ton the character of the establishment
and to refuse the application IL it is not
| conducted as q hotel. but simply as a
drinking place after hours and Sundays"
Convictions Now Necessary.
Mr.. Richards probably will include in
the bill a provision whereby it will not be
necessary to obtain the conviction Of the