Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1911-10-26
A Question of Confidence.

What has been your observation of tn.
confidence placed in Mr.. J<albfus by Mr.
Richards?" asked Mr.. Hogan.
Judging from what l have seen re-
Gently replied Mr.. Shoemaker Il thinl
that he has every confidence. l did mo-
always think So however.
Mr.. Hogan referred TO a speech de
Hvered by former Justice Brown of the
United States Supreme Court before tht
American Bar Association, in which ht
declared that Washington is a well gov
erned city. and asked Mr.. Shoemaker t.
explain why he had stated in his testi.
mOny given yesterday that the District
excise law is bad.
Il think the District is well gov
erned." said Mr.. Shoemaker. My ref
erence was to the excise law. The peo-
to determine whether to have saloons
or not
The witness said that saloon keepers
frequently intrench themselves by
buying all the property on one side OF
a street that they can control the
situation. He charged that the practice
frequently Is resorted to of dividing
property among the children of ar
applicant for a saloon license in order
to obtain signatures. He knew of one
case. he declared, where piece OF
property had been divided among five
ards refused to count the names.
Schemes to Get Licenses.
Mr. Shoemaker took up the entire time
of the hearing yesterday afternoon from
1:15 to $40 o'clock. Mr.. Shoemaker
testimony at times drifted far atield OF
the original line of investigation. as the
Commissioners asked him many questions
h nf
saloon question. Assistant Corporation
Counsel White told the Commissioners
he expected to prove by Mr.. Shoemaker
that the pool and billiard features of bar
rooms is overlooked by the excise board
that there Is q division Of property by
saloon owners and brewerieS whenever
1t is necessary to make more owners and
signers In any special saloon neighbor-
hood, that Mr.. Kalbfus dominates the
excise board. and that +. Oden Horst
mann was the most efficient excise IN
spector the board ever had.
Mr.. Shoemaker'S testimony at first was
recital Of his grievances against the
board In the matter Of several licenses
which had been granted. despite his pro-
tests. He told the Commiss.o ners the
excise board. in his Judgment, follows the
excise law too literally, and should use
more discretion and be more liberal
when it came to turning down applications
Considerable discussion of what the ex-
else law really Is followed. 1t developed
that the excise board has always con-
sidered the excise law as a revenue law.
basng its opinion on court decisions
ministered literally, and has not used il
as law to cut off every license that
stuck its head up.
Dodged Issue. He Says.
Mr. Shoemaker said the excise board
has lodged the issue in regard to pool
and bill ard tables in barrooms. Attor-
ncy Hogan answered him by saying the
Folice Court was the only place to decide
that matter.
Mr.. Shoemaker then talked about the
division of property and temporary
transfers of real estate. He gave a
specnIc instance place on Virginia
avenue. where, in his Judgment a
saloonkeeper was, unable to obtain the
necessary number Of signers III his
porary transfers of property. which
gave more owners of property.
This. said Mr.. Shoemaker. has been a
common practice and has been resorted
to frequently. He mentioned several
oases by name in which six and seven
new owners of property had appeared In
time to save the application for saloon
license.
I'm my Judgment said Mr. Shoe
maker. there should be an amendme mt
to the Law against this.
A Very Active Man
Mr. Shoemaker said that the excise
board had frequently known of these
cases, but that 1t has been only recent
IL that any applications have been re-
jected because of these temporary
transfers of property.
Mr. White asked Mr.. Shoemaker wheth-
er Mr.. Kalbfus dominated the excise
board.
do you insist on that answer?" asked
Mr.. Shoemaker.
ct DO"
Mr.. kalbfus is very active man.