Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1912-03-26
CUTSDOWN SALOONS
New Liquor Bill for District
Makes Number 800.
INCREASES LICENSE FEES
Measure Being Drawn Up by Sub
committee of the Senate.
DRY ZONES ARE ENLARGED
Special Excise Board. to Be Com
posed of Three Members, Also
Provided For.

a proposed stringent liquor law for the
District of Columbia, reducing materially
the number of saloons in the National
Capital and making other restrictions
will be laid before the Senate District
committee for its approval at the next
meeting by the subcommittee on excise
and liquor legislation. The subcommittee
recently conducted an extensive investi-
CATION of liquor selling in Washington.
Some of the features Of the proposed
new law will be:
Reduction I'm the number Of saloons
from about 30 to 300 by November 1,
1914.
Increase in the license fees from
$500 to $1,000 for retail licenses and
from s400 to $500 for wholesale
licenses.
Enlargement of the dry zones
around schools and churches.
Creation of a new excise board to
be composed of three members ap-
pointed by the President. with the con-
sent Of the Senate, each to receive
s2,4Oo per year.
Many Other Restrictions.
There are to be many other restric-
tions. not now existing. thrown around
liquor selling in the District, in addi-
ton to those mentioned, but the de-
tails of the bill the subcommittee is
drafting have not yet been made
public.
The fixing of 600 as the maximum num-
her of saloons in the District of Columbia
was a compromise among the members
Of the committee. Senator Works had
been urging his bill limiting the number
to 100. But the members of the commit
tee thought that the other restrictions
thrown around liquor selling and the es-
would be effective in wiping out most Of
the Objectionable features Of the present
system and felt they could allow the
larger limit under those further restric-
tions.
The increase in the amount of the liz
cense fee is aimed to wipe out the smaller
saloons In the poorer sections Of the city
and thereby to make it easier for the
excise board to reduce the total number
in the District.
complaint against the small saloons, on
the ground that the intoxicants they sold
were more dangerous than more expensive
brands. and that, being located in the
poorer sections OF the city, they led to the
expenditure Of money by those who could
not afford it.
DRY Zones" Larger.
In enlarging the dry zones around
the schools and churches. the committee
followed the requests of the dry" forces
as expressed at the hearings. The sub
committee proposes that, instead Of not
allowing a saloon to be established within
400 feet Of a school or church, the new
law shal prohibit the establishment of a
liquor place within 600 feet of any school
house, or within 800 feet of any church.
The dry forces Of Washington sug-
gested $50 feet for the radius of the dry
zones" but the committee. as on otter
questions. adopted a compromise.
If the proposed law Is adopted by Con-
gress the powers of granting licenses
will be taken away from the present
board which will deal exclusively with
excise matters. Under the present sys-
tenn the members of the excise board, be-
ing assessors. hold ofhce until removed
for cause. The members Of the new board
are to serve for only three years. without
reappOintment.
II is understood that the proposed law
will. also make more stringent the pro-
use Of the word knowingly" in the pres
ent law, in the definition OF the ofense,
was strenuously attacked during the
hearings. and the members Of the sub
committee were open in their statements
that some change should be made.
Subcommittee Working Hard.
The members Of the subcommittee on
excise and liquor legislation, Senators
Jones. Dillingham;. Works. Johnston and
Lea, have been at work almost daily
since the hearing closed in drafting the
proposed new law. and it is expected to
be all ready for presentation to the full
District committee next Friday. There
is some doubt that a meeting of the full
committee will be held Friday, as Chair
man Gallinger Is out Of the city and may
not return in time to call a session. In
that case the excise bill Will be reported
to the full committee one week from Fri
day.
There is an excellent reason for a pre-
diction that the full District committee
will approve q bill for the more stringent
regulation of the liquor traffic in the
District. AS the bill framed by the sub
committee is not regarded as radical or
lieve II will receive the approval of a ma
jority of the full committee.
II is expected that the five members OF
the subcommittee will support the sub
committee bill. and the support of only
three more members Of the committee is
necessary to insure majority of the
full committee.
The wet interests in Washington are
free in expressing their fears that radical
amendments will be put into the bill wher
Ii comes up for consideration on the fool
of the Senate or House. Some radical
opponents of liquor selling are In both
houses of Congress. and il would no,
be surprising II an attempt were made &c
substitute prohibition bill for the
stringent regulation measure
RESUME STEpuENS0N nCpATC