Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1912-03-08
FOR Stringent law
Amendments Considered Like
ly to Excise Acts.
HEARINGS COME TO CLOSE
"Drys' and "Wets" Have Last Say
Before Committee Disposes
of Question.
HEARINGS COME TO CLOSE

That the Senate District committee will
recommend amendments to the liquor
laws OF the District making them more
stringent, especially with regard to sales
OF liquor to minors and to giving greater
powers to the District authorities to re-
fuse licenses, as result of the hearings
on the proposed legislation now pending
in the Senate, is the prediction made
today.
The protracted hearings were brought
to a close late yesterday afternoon, and
the subcommittee on excise and LIQUOR
legislation of the Senate District COM
mittee, which has been conducting the
inquiry into the local excise situation,
will Immediately take up the work of
preparing amendments to the law or
framing new general law. The SUBJ
committee is composed of Senator Jones,
chairman; Senators Dillingham;, Works.
Johnston and Lea; and all of them are
known to be favorable to more stringent
excise regulations. and some of them ia
vor great reduction in the number of
saloons i'm the District
Yesterday afternoons session was taken
up with the closing arguments of the rep
resentatives of the "wets' and the "drys,'
Hugh +. Harvey and former Senator
Thurston speaking against any changes
in the present law. and A. f. Shoemaker
urging more stringent regulation.
More Authority Necessary.
In the course of his argument Mr.. Har-
vey admitted that the excise board ought
to have authority to refuse a license be-
cause Of the character of the applicant,
and he contended that such authority was
given by the present law. In answer to
criticisms that saloons were too near
schools, Mr. Harvey expressed the opin-
ion that children do not peer into saloons
as they pass along the streets on the way
to and from school, and added that the
present law prohibited minors under six
teen from going into saloons and minors
under twenty-One from getting drinks.
Answering the criticisms of liquor SELL
ing in clubs, Mr.. Harvey pointed out that
the excise board, under the present law,
had authority to refuse club licenses to
sell in the night or Sundays.
Il don't think there is any excuse for
a man getting drunk" Mr. Harvey said.
Because some do get drunk, however,
we are confronted with drastic legisla-
tion." He thought the great bulk Of Ii
Quor drinkers do not get drunk.
Former Senator Thurston commended
that 1t was useless Ito pass laws unless
they are to be enforced by public opinion.
There are laws against gambling" he
said. But some of the finest ladies in
the land are working overtime, night and
day. playing bridge. and you can't stop
them. And wouldn't want to be the
first to try Mr.. Thurston thought the |
majority Of the people of the District |
were well satisfied with the present
liquor laws, strictly enforced.
Scores "Palm Gardens"
Attorney Shoemaker of the Anti-Saloon |
League thought the palm gardens were |
a source of great evil. and he presented |
a police report to the excise board, de- |
scribing conditions in one of them here, |
and recommending that the license be re-
fused If the palm garden feature was
not eliminated.
And was the license granted in the |
face Of that report from the police?' he |
was asked by Senator Works.
ut was granted" stated Mr.. Shoemak-
er. But I do not present this in criti-
cism of the excise board"
ut seems to me the fact that license
was granted in that case is a criticism
Of the board" remarked Senator Jones.
Mr.. Shoemaker also wanted more re-
strictions on the sale of liquor in clubs.
II think the social clubs, the high
class social clubs, are doing much, per-
haps more, than any saloon keeper to
debauch the young manhood of thu