Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1915-03-04
SAYS EXCISE BOARD
D|SREGARDED LAW



fcating liquors to any person between
the hours of o'clock am. and ! o'clock
am, nor Sundays II Inauguration
day; and between said hours and on
Sundays and inauguration day every
barroom and other place where 1ntox1-
eating liquors are sold shall be kept
closed
THE rule of the board is as follows:
Section 1s (a). For the purpose of
clearing up and doing other necessary
work licensed premises may be entered
or occupied by licensees and their reg
u1ar employees between 6:4o o'clock am
and : o'clock am except on Sundays
and inauguration DAY. and between the
hours of 10 o'clock am and IL O'Clock
noon on Sundays and inauau alton day;
Provided. That neither said licensees
nor their employees shall drink, sell.
give away or dispense any intoxicating
liquors during the times mentioned
Evasion of Law.
members of your committee saw
several individuals in several saloons
during the two-hour Sunday period
permitted by the board for cleaning-up
purposes. and in several saloons during
this time saw what appeared to be the
bartender. dressed as if for dispensing
liquors, and from one saloon came two
or three young men dressed in business
clothes.
&c. In section 90 OBJ of the rules the
board has added what is in effect a
complete new section of the law, as
follows:
Section 20 OBJ. Except in case of
the death of licensee any person or
persons duly authorized by the Su-
preme Court of the District of Column
oia may. with the consent in writing of
the excise board, conduct the business
of a licensee for a period of not ex-
ceeding sixty days. In such cases post
Ing of the licensed premises shall not
be required
This gives express authority for re-
oeirers, trustees and other representa-
tives of licensees appointed by the Su-
preme Court of the District of Column
bia to conduct the business of a IL
censee for which no provision what
ever is made in the excise law.
J. The law places the maximum limit
upon the number of barroom Licenses
at 500, but 1t gives 10 tne excise boaIu
the discretion to license any smaller
number it may see fiji to permit lac
board has not exercised it's discretion
for a smaller number The testimony
shows tina it is the intention of the
board to keep the number at 300, there
by adopting the construction most ia
forable to tie saloons
a. The law p: Divides:
Nor shall any barroom license es-
tablisn moe tnan one bar under his
licer Sc
This provision has been violated in two
Instances by permitting the operation of
doub:e bars under a single license, one at
the corner of 18th street and RhoGe Is
land avenue and another at the corner of
l4th and l. streets.
BY the operation of a double bar we
mean that in each case the bar was ex-
tended INTO two separate rooms by max
ing about ten-foot opening between the
rooms. and running the bar through the
opening and both des of the parti-
zion separating the rooms.
Extra Doors Permitted.
20. The law also provides:
Nor provide or permit to be used more
shan one entrance to said barroom from
the street unless the excise
board shall especially permit an extra
entrance
This provision clearly means that no
more than one entrance shall be pro-
vIded unless some special condition or
reason warrants it: and naturally the
BOARD would be expected to grant but
rev such permits. According to the
report of the board, out of thirty-nine
applications for extra entrances thirty
eight were granted and only one re-
fused.
IS. The law provides that:
No saloon. barroom or wholesale
liquor business shall be licensed west
OF the western line of the fire limits
as now tablished'
Between the time of the passage of
the law and the time Ii was to go into
effect the Commissioners of the Dis
tfict OF Columbia SO changed the fire
limits as to bring two saloons from
prohibited territory into licensed terri
tory. and the territory changed was so
small as to raise the unavoidable pre-
sumption, in the opinion of the COM
mittee. that it was made for the spe-
cidl purpose of keeping the saloons
within the license limits.
Other Violations of Law.
Protests were filed with the board
against the granting of the licenses to
the saloons thus brought within license
limits. and the conditions were fully
disclosed. Although it had the discre-
ton to refuse these licenses. even
though the location might be practi-
cally outside the prohibited zone. and
although a plain attempt had been
made to nullify the positive provision
OF the law. the board granted the IL
censes.
The law provides:
Not more than three saloons or
oafIooms, other than in hotels or clubs.
snail be permitted upon one side of a
street between intersecting streets
Contrary to this provision of the
iouI saloons are now permitted to
operate on K street between 18th and
t4th streets northwest, one of the prin-
cipal business sections of the city. The
saloon on the corner of 14th and +
o.
tel. which is owned by Miller Brothers
had been refused a license while its
entrance was on f street. because
there were three other saloons located
on that side of the block License was
chen applied for by Miller Brothers as
fronting On 14th street, and the license
was granted. Immediately the window
fronting on 18th street was broken out.
uade into door, the entrance on +,
street was closed. and the board per-
Inttted the saloon to operate, although
the location of the saloon was exactIv
where il was before
y. The law provides:
No saloon, barroom or other Mace
where Intoxicating liquor is sold at re-
tail shall be licensed, allowed or main
Gained within 900 feet of any alIey;yay
occupied for residences or of ulaces
commonly called Sums except upon
the unanimous vote of all three mem
0ers OF said excise board
The plain purpose of this provision
was to remove barrooms reasonable
distance. at least. from these places and
protect TO certain extent the pood peo-
pie living In them from the bauefui in
duences of the same
Disregards the Law.
Tho board has apparently disregard
ed this purpose. 1t has granted
licenses in practically every instance
when applied for within 800 feet of
these places. and there are MANY in
stances where there are three or four
and in some instances more harroons