The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1913-07-03
new EXCISE
PROVES PUzzLING
Many Provisions VIII Have to
Be Interpreted by
Courts.
LAW Is BEING OBEYED
Clear Provisions Of Act Are Being En-
forced-Mooted Points to
Wait.

Qualification at the satisfactory man
ner in which saloonkeepers and other
liquor dealers are striving to abide by the
provisions of the new excise law was ex-
pressed yesterday afternoon by Francis
H Stevens, Assistant Corporation Coun-
sci. who is at present in charge of mat
tiers dealing with the stringent measure.
81 have been agreeably surprised to no.
tice the. willingness that the liquor men
are displaying to obey strictly the pro-
visions of the law" he said. 1T seems
that they are all eager to conduct their
establishments in strict accordance with
the measure. Scores of them have called
upon the office Of the Corporation Coun-
sci for interpretations of nebulous pro-
visions. think they realize generally
that to obey the law is advantageous In
fully as great degree from the CONNER
cial as from the ethical standpoint"
Many Questions Aaked.
It seems that the new law has a never
ending series of nebulous provisions.
Each day questionable points Of a new
character are arising to puzzle the brains
of saloonkeepers and assistant corpora
ton counsels.
At not a few Of the groceries to be
found in the District bottled liquor is
sold. Now the law states that no person
under the age of eighteen years shall
enter a place where liquor is sold. Con-
sequently. the question arises as to
whether the small boy sent by his
mother in quest of a pound of sugar
or loaf of wrapped bread shall be per-
mitted to enter such stores Assistant
corporation counsel seems to think the
lad would be safe, inasmuch as the tech
meal violation would not constitute a
trespass upon the spirit of the law The
matter is one. however, that will not be
definitely settled until tested in the
courts.
whether liquor establishments will be
permitted to keep open until / o'clock
on Sunday morning as well as on secular
days. Mr.. Stevens has answered this
problem in the negative. although there
is still some slight doubt as to the cor
rect Interpretation of the law on the
point.
Mr.. Stevens also has been asked
whether saloons will be permitted to
open at l2:01 o'clock Monday mornings
and operate for fifty-nine minutes-that
is, until the stroke of /. He has deter
mined that this is possible under the
provisions of the law, but yesterday ex-
pressed the belief that no saloonkeeper
would take advantage of the point. Palm
gardens. cafes, restaurants. hotels, and
clubs, however, will, in all probability,
a thriving business during that fifty-nine
minutes of refreshment
1t developed yesterday that at present
there Is no law against the so-called
GROWER trade. Until the expiration of
the last fiscal year there was in force
an excise board regulation against this
practice, but it died along with the old
board.
Legal Tests Coming.
Mr.. Stevens yesterday reiterated that
the office would enforce only those pro-
visions which were perfectly clear, leay-
ing the other points to be passed upon
by the excise board. Practically all of
the sections of the law will be tested in
the courts eventually. Mr.. Stevens said
yesterday that the prosecutions will not
begin until the fall. probably not until
after November l, the beginning of the
new license year
The new law states that liquor shall
be sold to women only in connection
with meals. and the question now arises
as 10 what constitutes a meal.
Several persons were arraigned in
the Police Court yesterday on a charge
of drunkenness brought under one of
the provisions of the new law. A. W.
scott attorney for one of the defend
ants. took Judge Aukam by surprise
by requesting that he determine the
puzzling question: When is man
drunk? The judge did not undertak
the job. but stated that there was no
doubt in the case of Mr.. SCOTS client.
Most of the offenders were fined $40
each. the minimum penalty.
fnh C,-1,