The Washington times., 1912-03-26
PROPOSED EXCISE
MEASURE REDUCES
SALOONS ONE-HALF
Wholesale and Retail License
Fees to Be Increased
b. Greatly.

Drastic excise legislation for the Dis
trict of Columbia, the effect OF which
VIII be to reduce the number Of saloons
nearly one-half, is proposed IN the new
excise DAl which has been practically
agreed on by the subcommittee of the
Senate District Committee which has
this question In charge
While all the details of the bill have
not yet been disclosed, II was learned
today that the measure will reduce the
number of saloons from 535 to 300.
Another important change in the law
contemplated by the measure Is in
crease of both the Wholesale and the re-
tall license fees. The bill as whole
is TO 80 into effect November l. 1914
But the wholesale license at once will
be raised to $500 and the retail to 81, OO0
After November /, 1914, the wholesale
license fee will be $500 ana the retail
will be $1,000 The present wholesale le
license fee Is $400 and the retail $500
Still another change Of Importance Is
to increase the dry" limit about the
schools and churches. The bill pro-
poses to make this limit 600 feet in he
case of schools and 500 feet in the case
of churches.
odldIleu EAClSe bOdIQ.
The bill as It now stands pruvilts for
an excise board of three who may DC
anpoinred from any part of the country.
The pay of each member is to be 81. 400
In addition to the restrictions which
ere here outlined, the subcC nl'nittce's S
bill proposes others. which have not
yet bccorle known. The genera! cf-
feet of the bill II it becomes Law will
be greatly to tighten Up the regull-
items respecting sales OF liquor in
Washington.
The subcommittee which is framing
the bill is headed by Senator Jones Of
Washington. 'The Subrommitte conduc-
ted numerous hearings before under
taking 70 fashion rIll. 1t had be-
fore it the Works bill. which limited
the number of saloons to 100 and the
Jones bill, which was the Anti-Saloon
League measure.
rhe new bill, which will bc reportrd
from the subcommittee Ia the main
committee, IS not as drastic as either
the Works bill or the Jones bill. At
the Same time it is much more restric-
tive than the liquor interests of the
b!strlrt want. The subcommittee cx-
poets to report the bill to the District
Committee next Friday
That the submission OF the bill which
the subcommittee has practically agreed
on VIII be the signal for a hard fight
against 1t Is considered certain. On the
other hand. the measure will have
strong support. 1t will come out of the
subcommittee with the unanimous re-
port of the members. so far as known
It will be nonpartisan. a strong effort
viii be made to force 1t through the
Senate.
"Wets" Oppose Measure.
The wet forces are expected to oppose
the bill at every turn and especially to
try to block it in the House. The fact
this is campaign year will be to tne
advantage of the opponents OF the bill
Many Of the politicians in the House
and Senate will deem the time inop-
perfume for getting into complications
with the liquor interests. and for an
tagoniznC the wet vote of the country
This intensifies the interest in the silu-
alton and will tend to make the out.
come more uncertain.
Had tho Jones bill been preserved
in its original form Il practically would
have meant prohibition in the District