The Washington herald., 1913-09-23
Dining
ROOMS MUST Go
The Excise Board Decides to
Adopt Regulation on
the Subject.
RESTAURANT MEN HEARD
Definition of "MeaP' and Other Phases
of New Excise Law Are Sub
jects of Discussion.

A youth and a girl. with a bottle OF
wine, spending the evening in a private
dining room. is a feature of the liquor
traffic in the District that the new ex-
t.3e board intends to eliminate. Joseph
Sheehy. chairman OF the board, made
tIis announcement to Washington restau-
rant proprietors at the close of the hear
irg c. the question of What is a meaI?''
held in the Offices of the board in the
District Building yesterday.
After more than two hours endeavor
to define the meaning and nature of a
meal" that is a meal in good faith, -
Chairman Sheehy announced that there
was another question in connection with
the dispensing of liquor in restaurants
that would have TO be settled in the
new regulations.
I'VE have found in the course of our
/ inspection of restaurants" Mr.. Sheehy
explained many small private dining
rooms where women can be served with
liquor. The board feels that it should
eliminate the vicious features of the pri-
vatc dining room. II will adopt some
r-le or regulation limiting the size of the
room in which liquor may be served to
women"
Attorney Alexander Bell stated that he
could not see how this question Of floor
space woulL eliminate the vicious fea-
lures of the private dining room.
Chairman Sheehy explained that the
proprietor of a restaurant would be less
likely to give up a large room excIu-
sively TO two people. than when the pri-
vate dining room is only nine by nine
feet.
Pr"prietOrS Are Surprised.
Chairman Sheehys announcement Of
the intention Of the board to regulate
this phase of the restaurant business in
Washington, took the prOprietors unpre-
pared.
one inquired OF the chairman of the
board what they considered to be the
vicious features of the private dining
room.
Well. to be plain" Mr.. Shcehy said
the board feels that it is vicious to shut
up a man and a woman with liquor in a
room that is nine by nine feet square,.
The private dining-room is a widespread
institution in the Capital, according TO
the board.
The hearing yesterday was called pri-
marly to determine what constitutes a
meal under the Jones-WOrks law.
Dcanition of "McaI."
The proprietors of nearly all the larger
Washington restaurants were present. and
most OF them submitted definitions OF
what is a meal" II seemed to be the
opinion Of the restaurateurs that a sand
wiCh-generally more closely defined as a
lO-Cent sandwich-constitutcd a meal. a
meal in good faith. and a meal meeting
all the requirements OF the new excise
measure, which provides that women may
only he served with liquor at meals.
F. II. Beyer made the first argument
on behalf Of the restaurant proprietors.
He said he did not believe that the def
milton OF a meal could be settled on the
basis of a fixed minimum price.
In answer TO Chairman Sheehy's dues-
tion as to how the board should regulate
the matter, Mr.. Boyer was uncertain.
"A meal is a portion OF food served
to be eaten at one time" another pro-
prietor quoted from Webster This drew
the question from Chairman Sheehy:
DO you consider oyster crackers a
meal?'
Attorney Bell insisted that sandwich
can. and often does. constitute a meal.
He said that the board should leave
this question TO be determined by the
appetites of those who visit the places
designated as restaurants by the board.
Remedial Measure.
-AllOIiitN a T. shoemaker, represent
ing the Anti-SaloOn League. asked the
board TO remember in determining this
question that the Jones-Works law was
a remedial measure. He said that the
meal required by the law should be
determined as the meal of a normal per-
son. not Of a dyspeptic living on sand
wiches.
A further question was raised as to
when meal should be considered COM
pleted. This question is: Can a woman
go to a re Ttaurant and order a meaI-a
sandwich. If the board so decides-and
spend the rest of the night drinking
liquor?
The board reserved its decision. The
answers, however to all questions
brought up at the hearing probably will
be found in the new regulations of the
board for the government of the Dis
trict liquor traffic, which are expected 10
be published today.
Among others present at the hearing
were Frank Hall, Charles Mades, Alex
ander Bell. Gus Brahler, r. F. Carroll.
V. Castelli. Charles C. Allen, and f,
Gerstenberg.