The Washington times., 1915-03-04
Investigate Denounce D. C.. Officials

from q public school at Is Fifth street
southeast.
Others Given Licenses.
"several other barrooms have been
granted licenses within 400 feet Of public
schoolhouses. churches. and colleges.
I'VE submit herewith plats made at
our request by the District surveyor.
and other places, and showing the dis
tancc between saloons and churches.
sehoolhouses: and colleses by the short
seur:s .,, Of fbsn s.ye @ e.t to e' In many IN
10. In this connection attention Is
called to the fact that wherever build
Ing is not used exclusively for business
or school purposes the board contends
ship or q school or college within tho
meaning Of the excise law. 1t has,
therefore. in many instances permitted
the saloons to be operated within 4oO
are conducted, or where large consrega-
tions carry on religious worship.
Il. We direct attention to that clause
OF the law which requires that no
shall cs BE- granted Ia any the
the proprietor or manager Of which. 10
shown to be Objectionable to said board.
Grand Hotel Cited.
"The most notable instance Of a vio-
lation Of this clause 10 as follows: The
proprietor Of the Grand Hotel, which
occupies Government premises. was
granted q license Notwithstanding he
to minor girl. and his license former.
iy cancelled. and notwithstanding 1t
was shown he had organised a corpora
tion which he controlled and In the
sA ~ SS,Al l~A ~ n
made against him BY the police. At the
hearing conducted by the board on the
question Of giving him q renewal OF II.
cense In October. 1914. tho police report
The MANAGER. Edward l. Gardner:
conducts q garden in the basement OF
this hotel where they have music ana
singing. Dancing 10 allowed on q plat
form set aside for that purpose: This
en- Of questionable character. and the
result 10 a meeting place for men and
women. In my opinion these conditions
are Objectionable, In connection with
This police report was signed BY
J. L. Sprinkle. acting captain First
"This testimony was corroborated by
Sergeant Cats Of the vice SQUAD OF tne
before the Excise Board on the ques,
ton Of renewing Gardner's license. ana
before our committee.
TT also developed in the testimony
before our committee that cases are
this hotel. Gardner. for selling liquor
to a minor.
Others Disreputable.
1.-THE testimony before this committee
will also show that other hotels were
granted licenses which had been con-
Quoted in a disreputable manner.
'l2. The Excise Board has refused H.
nS S.s to rPsn9ed them to
places In the same neighborhood over
strong protests. A saloon on the north
side Of Pennsylvania avenue had been
carried on for many years by Mr Hur-
him. He was refused a license. OF
street. the Phiisdeiphia House. which
was clearly shown by the testimony be-
fore US to be one OF the most disSIace- e,
any other city. was granted a license.
The testimony shows that the Philadel-
phia House Is q place OF resort for
colored prostitutes and for men ano
women OF questionable character.
'1a The law also provides:
That the personal representative Of
any deceased licensee may within
thirty days after the death OF such
licensee transfer said license IN &C
cordance with the provisions Of this
law. touching transfer Of licenses"
Women Operated Bar.
TN violation Of this provision the
board permitted Mrs. Gordon to operate
the bar Of her husband long after his
death, although the attention Of the
board was called to the violation Of
the law, and they did not act to prevent
such violation until pressure was
brought upon them through one Of
the District Commissioners. and. al
though the Corporation Counsel had
rendered an opinion that the bar was
being operated contrary to the law.
IA. The law provides:
THAT the interior Of every barroom
shall at all times when. selling Is
prohibited be exposed to full view
from the street. without obstruction
by screens. blinds. curtains. stained
glass. bottles. boxes. signs. or other
clubs licensed under this section. and
hotels having only an interior bar
room. which shall be exposed to full
view from the corridors or passage
ways leading to the entrance or en-
frances to such barroom"
Little Attention RAD.
The committee found on a tour of
personal observation that but little at
tention Is paid to this provision of the
law. Glass doors and windows are
stained. are obstructed by curtains.
partitions are frequently erected across
the barroom. a short distance from the
entrance. and the only compliance with
this provision Of the law In most cases
was the drawing aside for Just a short
distance OF one curtain.
"The law provides:
par g. That the said board shall
appoint q clerk at q salary Of 81 800
per annum, and an inspector with
police powers at q salary Of q. 500 per
annum. Said inspector shall make
inspections as may be required by
this section. under the orders Of the
board. and make full report of such
inspections to the board. He shall
wear a badge indicating that he Is
such inspector of the excise board"
Stenographer Named.
INSTEAD Of appointing an inspecto,
whose principal duty, as contemplated
by the law. Ii to inspect places Of license
holders. the board appointed stenog
rapher under the name OF inspector. who
does the stenographic work Of the boart
and makes a stenographic record of tn.
proceedings of the board. and his princi