The Washington times., 1912-05-02
WHY LIQUOR MEN
OBJECT TO THE
NEW EXCISE LAW
Their Side of the Question
Explained to The.
I { Times.
Continued from First Page.)

now holding license to retail liuuor, II
is said not over seven would measure
An unofficial estimate by one promin-
entity associated with the local luuor
nealers' organization, places the num-
Der OF saloons that will be in business
under the proposed law at fifty, and
this ngure includes hotels and clubs.
Methods of Reduction.
Another point upon which the liquor
Interests dwell Is the manner in which
the number of saloons are to be re-
duced from the number now in exist
ence-513-to 800; or, to paraphrase
them more accurately, the lack Of
manner in which this Is to be done.
They say the bill simply orders the
number of saloons reduced to 500 by
certain date. but that no plan of
elimination Is set forth. The whole
thing Is left up to the excise board,
created by the bill, and any arbitrary
method they might use would be
legal.
Will the board put out of business
those without a pull, and leave those
In business who have influence? Or
will the first 213 whose licenses cx-
pire after the law goes into effect be
closed, regardless of their character,
their investment or their fitness to do
business? Or will the whole thing be
done by drawing lots7 Language un-
usually usually severe Is directed at this
the liquor interests claim. a mans
property worth thousands of dollars
and his established business worth
confiscated, by any haphazard or arbi.
trary ruling Of the excise board.
Drinks for Women.
rVVhv prohihit .+~otoA.
operating a bar and selling drinks to
a woman and let a hotel do it7' is
another question the liquor forces are
asking. And, WAS this provision
another sop to keep the hotel men
quietT' Under the proposed law no
woman can be sold any intoxicating
liquor unless she be the guest at a
hotel. Liquor men opposed to the bill
say this is a Joker; that IT deliberately
drives women who want to buy liquor
per Sc, or to have II with their meals
to patronize the cafes of hotels II SO,
then the opponents OF the bill ask why
the prohibition of selling liquor to wom-
en-, since 1t can be evaded by any wom-
an going into a hotel cafe and buying
drinks.
The high license Is another stickler
Opponents Of the measure say 1t means
just two classes of saloons-the hotel
bar, and the cheap groggery. The for
mer because hotels will have bars at
any price; the latter because the cheap
grogsery is at little expense, usually
pays small rent, sells inferior goods
upon which there Is enormous profit,
and does not cater to respectabrrty.
Hence. II can afford to pay the high
license, while the saloonkeeper In a
N ghnr &c LlxwI.
sells the best brands Of liquor, and has
fine furniture cannot afford to meet this
additional license expense.
Question of Locations.
The liquor interests also insist .he
bill cuts two ways. 1t absolutely pro-
hibits saloons from certain districts.
gives the Excise Board the power to
declare any district residence district,
and eliminate them from that territory,
and then ties up the business district of
the city so that no saloon can be
within $50 feet Of another, or within 600
feet Of any school or church that may
hereafter be started, or within 300 feet
of any "slum." If there Is any such
spot In the business district of WASH
ington today the liquor men claim 1t
will be wiped out by the time the bill
becomes law by some one starting a
private SCHOOl Or d HlSSlOn III the 10
cality.
To illustrate how the provisions of the
bill will wipe out saloons, 1t Is interest
ing to note that on Pennsylvania ave-
nue. from First to Fifteenth street there
are fifty-one saloons; between d and Q
on Seventh street there are thirty-nine
saloons: on the north side of E street
between Thirteenth and Fourteenth
streets there are eight; on E street
from Ninth to Fourteenth there are
twenty-one saloons; on M street from
Thirtieth to Thirty-sixth streets there
are twenty-eight saloons: on H street
northeast from Fourteenth to Fiji
teenth streets there are seven saloons;
on Eighth street southeast from E to L
streets there are fourteen saloons.
Called Prohibition in Disguise.
Nor can It be said that the liquor in
side OF these few things" They do not
think the bill Is right anywhere, at any
place. They object to practically all OF
its provisions. They say 1t is nothing
except prohibition under a disguise, and
that to begin with there Is no need of
any kind of temperance legislation in
Washington The liquor men insist that
Washington Is sober, well-governed
city; that the liquor trade here Is high
class and law biding; that this bill
means the beginning OF endless agita-
ton that will result only in one thing
permanent injury to the city financial
" and morally. In short, they Just don I
Ike the bill, and say so. Moreover, they
are at work to defeat It.