Evening star., 1915-02-25
Represented by Attorneys.

become worse since the granting of
the liquor license
Represented by Attorneys.
John ]. Madden of 4o1 AZ street told
of his efforts to secure a license. He
Alexander Bell 5000 to represent him.
He said he was not Influenced by the
fact that Sheehy had been a former
member of the excise board: neither
did he tell a man that "it took money"
| to get license.
well, evidently it did take money"
said Senator Sheppard. for you paid
$1.300."
To that the witness replied that it
| was the lawyers fee.
| DIR. John r. Cole of 500 Sth street
northeast told of the granting of a
license to a saloon next door to his
! people in the neighborhood protested
as well as the members of a proposed
| synagogue. who wanted to buy prop
| erty across the street and establish
| their church.
He said that the attorney for the sa-
property, as the license was sure to be
| granted. He told of unsuccessful ef-
| forts to get in touch with Mr.. Sheehy,
| then a member of the board, but finally
got him on the telephone one evening
He asserted that Mr.. Sheehy gave him
no satisfaction. but advised him to
| come to his office the next morning,
| when he would answer him right to
| his teeth. He had also talked with
| Gen. Smith, but received no considera-
| ton.
| Senator Sheppard asked Smith how
| he received his title of general. Gen.
| Smith replied that he had organized
! and commanded the 4th New Jersey In
| fantry in the war with Spain and by
special act of the legislature was
breveted brigadier general He said
| he did not serve in the war.
AT the hearing yesterday afternoon AL
bert E. Shoemaker. attorney for the Anti
Saloon League. described to the COM
mittee how the law has been violated
in the issue of licenses to applicants
where the places of business were
within 400 feet of churches, schools.
etc, and in residence districts. He
gave a list of eighteen retail licenses
granted for places within 400 feet of
schools and churches, and five whole
sale licenses. Another list he gave
showed sixty-one saloons within resi-
| dence streets.
Still another list showed that twenty
eight licenses had been issued for sa-
looms within 300 feet of inhabited al
leys or slums. The law. Mr.: Shoemaker
| pointed out permits the issue OF lii
censes within 300 feet of inhabited al
| leys provided the board is unanimous
| in its approval of the applications. He
said the board had been unanimous
-
| licenses in each of the twenty-eight
cases in question.
He testified that eight or ten saloons
are located within 300 feet of Jackson
alley, notorious in police circles, and
two or three within 300 feet of Wiley's
| court. another inhabited alley which
has bad record.
| Mr. Shoemaker said that, while the
| law provided there should not be more
than 300 saloons in Washington. the
board had interpreted the law to mean
| that there should be 800 saloons
Senator Jones asked IL Mr. Shoe
violations of the law prosecuted. Mr.
Shoemaker replied that he had taken
all the cases up with the corporation
counsel and an attorney designated by
Complains Of Delays.
I'VE have tried to get action on these
cases." said Mr.. Shoemaker. but so
far all we have got was an order to
the District surveyor to measure the
] distances from the saloons to churches
and schools. etc We have been put of
again and again with the excuse that
they haven't had time to take up these
cases.
when do you expect the office of
the corporation counsel to have time
| to take these cases up?" asked Senator
Jones. Mr.. Shoemaker said that ..e
had bee- told for the last two months
that something would De done next
week"
Senator Jones suggested that if one
or two convictions could be had In
cases where saloons were said to be
operating in residence districts those
violations of .-Ie w would soon
cease.
Mr.. Shoemaker suggested that it was
very difficult to get convictions in the
Police Court.
HAS not the excise board held that
il had the right to issue licenses to
clubs and hotels, even though they are
located in residence districts?" asked
Senator Sheppard.
Mr.. Shoemaker replied that that was
true, and said he had been told by
members of the board that it had been
an oversight by Congress not to ex-
empt clubs and hotels from the pro-
visions of the law.
so the excise board has undertaken
to legislate in the matter" said SEN
ator Jones. They have constituted
themselves . sort Of annex to Con-