The Washington times., 1912-05-03
SUPPORTERS
OF EXCISE LAW
. SAY THEIR SAY
Tell The Times Why They
: Advocate Regulation In
the District.
Continued from First Page)

Continued from First Page.)
prohibition, but who do favor a fair
regulation OF the liquor traffic.
Had we taken counsel of our own de-
sire In the matter" said prominent
temperance worker in a discussion of
the bill, I'VE would have introduced a
Dill absot1tely prohibitory. But we
have tried to view the question as prac-
tna tTsa @en, not as fanatics. The bill is
70 run decent place and keep the sale
or liquor on as clean basis as It is
possible to keep 1t can find any reason
sa,ssd a9Ie fapt tSnt With 1t; The criticism is
Tar enough. is not stringent enough.
we would willingly make Il more strln-
gent, IL the liquor interests would join
mean passed a eating Bu tnsy woad s5ngsnt Sa
In that event 1t would be too stringent
TO suit them. We knew we could not
please them or appeal to them. So we
endeavored to work out a measure
that would please the people and for
the support of which we could appeal
to every fair-minded man, regardless of
"hether he Is teetotaler or not
Will Not Help Groggeries.
No denial Is made of the fact that
the bill, II enacted into law, wipe out
the saloons in residence districts in the
immediate vicinity of churches and
schools and relieve their congestion in
the business districts. That is what
the bill is expected to do. and what
its supporters think public opinion
" ants done.
Neither is any denial made of the
allegation that II will force many
saloons now In business out of business
ate to the benefit of the groggery and
against the respectable saloon. It's ad-
'yocates say that the experience of
through this s GIn'rS End Of WhiSR sh. mas Is
that high license and strict regula-
ton wipes out the dives" So CON
dstan ddent al are they Of this fact; the advo-
opponents of the measure to show
single place where such law is on
the books and is enforced, that the
go out of business.
Friends Of the bill say they cannot
understand the attitude of the liquor
trade, which insists it wants to clean
up" and then objects to the provision
which makes it impossible for Joints"
to operate under the guise of hotels.
As to the argument that the prominent
friends of the bill reply that in scores
of cities where there are no saloons
there are hundreds of exclusive cafes
doing a profitable business.
, In answer to the charge that a hotel
can sell a woman liquor in its cafe, and,
therefore, 1t will be possible for women
d who wish to drink to evade the law by
going to hotel cafe, 1t is pointed out
liquor in hotels must be bona flde
I guests" and the liquor must be served
at regular meals in the dining rooms"
While admitting that it would possible
for an evasion of the law upon this
point, the temperance folk say such
evasion could be possible only under
sent of the, hotel, and, second. with the
Connivance of the authorities. Either
contingency they regard as remote, and
the two taken together they regard
hotel made 1T a practice to permit the
evasion of the law on its premises 1t
would soon become common knowledge,
and proceedings against the hotel could
be instituted upon the initiative of the
excise board or by the authorities upon
information being filed. No hotel would
jeopardize its bar license in order to
accommodate persons not it's bona fide
guests, say the friends of the bill.
Regarding the license being prohibit
ory 1t Is pointed out that in Baltimore
been 1875 bars licensed and saloon
keepers have until May so to get H.
censes Other cities which have license
fees of $1,000 or over and have more sa-
Ions In proportion to their population
than Washington does now under the
present fees, are New York. Chicago,
Cleveland, Pittsburgh, Cincinnati, Kan
sas City, st. Paul, Columbus, Toledo,
The plea that the elimination Of sa-
looms will cause vacant business houses.
lower rents and depreciate property
values Is met by this answer: In event
the proposed law does cause the vaca-
ton of large number of buildings now
occupied by saloons, 1t will cause an
appreciation of property values and a
better class of tenants. Again the sta
tstics are used to substantiate this
claim. 1t Is alleged by temperance advo-
Gates that a saloon makes adjacent
property undesirable either for business
or residential purposes, and the uni
versal experience has been the increase
, In rental values the moment saloons are
closed.
Would Improve Property.
Moreover. 1t is pointed out that many
buildings occupied by saloons are in
such a state of repair that no other
business will occupy them, and the min
ute the saloon is closed the owner must
improve his property in order to rent
II. The argument Is advanced that
nothing would bring about the improve
ment of property along Pennsylvania
avenue so quickly and effectually as the
closing of every Cne of the saloons now
running on that street between the Cap
itol and Fifteenth street 1t Is alleged
that ramshackles that are now occupied
by saloons and are not suitable for
anything else, but earn a good profit
would be replaced by modern buildings
which would be occupied by other lines
of business at once, and the appearance
of Washington would be immeasurably
improved and its tax receipts increased.