The Washington herald., 1915-10-31
license ACTION
PLEASES
Anti-Saloonists Glad Excise
men Refused New
Places.
ONE uTu0I CcAIEDpADpED
Observation-Disclosures
Sixteen Retailers Doing Business Are
Turned Down-Courts May Decide
if Some Others Continue.

A. E. Shoemaker. attorney for the Anti
Saloon League, expressed disappointment
last night at the action Of the Excise
Board in renewing licenses to scores of
liquor places which the league contends
are operating in residential districts and
on streets with Ii nonbusiness frontage
L. violation Of the law.
while We are ygratiAed at the board S
action In turning down all new applica-
lions and in refusing licenses to hotels
having less than fifty rooms for guests.
We are disappointed that the board did
not see Mt to assume the responsibility
Of closing the places whose licenses the
league has taken into court.
Court Cases Continued.
In granting these licenses the Excise
Board issued the following statement;
'Among the cases upon which the board
has favorably acted are some which are
now the subjects OF dispute in the courts
In all such instances. where all other
conditions were favorable to the icensee
the board has thought 1t proper to grant
the licenses so that the cases may re-
main in court until final decision shall
have been rendered in each.
Thus. certain disputed points of the
excise law will be 1udicially interpreted
and the board will be guided by settled
then no longer be doubted"
The board has been given wide dis.
cretionary power in carrying out the
law" said Mr.. Shoemaker. in referring
to the court cases. ''and might have
closed the places in question.
Test cases covering each of the points
at issue between the board and the Anti
Saloon League were taken into Polio,
Court by the league several months ago
nV,e Wkaf 1f ~ Mae, N1V,A
Seventeenth and II streets northwest
was carried to the Court of Appeals anC
pending a decision by that court tn,
Police Court refused to act on the others
Expect Club Decision Soon.
A decision in the Metropolitan Clul
case is expected tomorrow. or in tn
near future. which virtually will settl'
the differences of opinion between tn,
board and the league. In granting tn,
questionable licenses, the board added
Subject. however, to any order of tn
court" This means that should tn,
courts decide in favor OF the Anti-Saloor
League there will be a further reduction
in the number OF saloons in the Dis
trict.
II is regarded as significant by thos,
on both sides of the liquor question tina
of the twenty-five retail licenses rejected
nine were new applicants. This indi
Gates clearly" sale Attorney Shoemaker
that he board does not intend to in
crease the number of places in the Dis
trict-"
The most surprising action of the boarC
vas the denial of a license to the Wash
tngton Terminal Company for a saloon II
Union Station.
with the exception of the Thyso,
Hotel 1903 Seventh street. northwest, tn
Seventh street merchants were success
full in defeating the efforts of school
teachers in that vicinity to have all sa
looms in Upper Seventh street closed.
Rejects Halls Application.
The application of Frank P. Hall. 100
Seventh street southwest, which was on
OF the most sensational hearings befor
the board. vas rejected. Two other sur
prises in the list Of reflections were tn
applications of Fritz Herzog, Ills E stree
northwest. and the Cairo apartment
house. 1915 Q street northwest,
Attorney Shoemaker also espresso