The Washington herald., 1916-09-22
RECORDS SHOW LIQUOR
DEALERS LAW.ABIDING
Washington Lawyer Points to Police
Report to Excise Board.
Washington, D. c.. Sept. q, 1916.
II The Washington Herald.

washington, u. e, sept. Il, 1916.
Editor The Washington Herald:
An analysis of the reports filed by the
police authorities with the Excise Board
on 27S OF the 281 applications for barroom
licenses show the following interesting
conditions:
l. Two hundred places are reported,
without any reservation, free from objec-
tion and the applicants worthy OF
| licenses.
2. Thirty-four placesH most, II not all,
of which have held licenses ever since the
passage of the present law, despite their
proximity to alleyways, 1t is reported
are within 800 feet of alleys occupied for
residential purposes, but in some Of these
cases the reports are qualified by state
ments that the alleys are not regarded as
slums or that they contain as few as one
residence or that the houses have ceased
to be used as places of abode.
Some of the measurements OF distance
| It would appear. were made to the en-
trance OF the alley, and not to the inhab-
| tied houses, while other measureme nts
were made in an air line and not accord
irg to trafic regulations
AS most, If not all, of the alleys which
are now used for residential purposes will
soon, under the law, cease to be SO used
this will probably not be regarded as a
serious objection against licensees.
g. During the past license year no one
of the 30 barroom licenses was convict
! ed of any infraction of the law and few
were accused. Only two applicants have
charges OF Sunday bars pending against
them and one was acquitted by a Jury,
| after a trial, on the same charge. Two
charges Of selling to minors were dis
missed by the court for want Of prose-
! cution, after jury trials had been de-
manded by the accused. The grand jury
| ignored a charge OF gambling against
| one proprietor and case of simple as
sault against another was dismissed. Four
patrons of four different places were
! charged with disorderIy conduct and each
fined $. A cutting ARRAY occurred in one
place but apparently II was not attend
ed with any serious consequences. One
| licensee. 1t is reported, played poker at
the house OF a friend. who assumed re-
| sponsibility to the police for the game
after a raid had been made. A hotel
was imposed upon by a couple which
nisrepresented its marital status while
as to another licensee It was reported
he had violated the law over twenty
years ago, for which the court at the
time took his personal bond to sin no
more, which from the fact that nothing
| unfavorable has since been reported
against him he probably has not done.
One applicant attempted to have the in
terror OF his place painted on Sunday,
but upon objection being interposed by
the police, selected another day to do
the work. A drunken colored boy en-
ployed as a dishw asher, accused the pro-
prtetors OF two places of selling him
liquor, but after investigation the proper
| authorities refused to prosecute. Two
employees OF a licensed place treated a
| cop with indignity, were fined by the
court and In addition lost their Jobs.
Four places, the reports claim, are
than four hundred feet from certain
private schools, which however does
not violate tho law. one is stated to
be in a residential district, and in
seven cases, 1t Is reported either that
the block does not contain nifty per
cent business foot frontage or that
the fact should be officially deter
mined
-Four places the reports claim. are
within four hundred feet Of some mis-
sion or branch Of a mission and Of
flcial measurement Is recommended on
| seven applications, regarding their dis
tance from churches, public schools or
| colleges. The police tell the Excise
Board that FIVE places may be entered
by more than one door and that in
one case the proprietor does not al
ways keep closed the door from his
barroom to his back yard.
With but a couple of exceptions the
applicants in all of the two hundred
and seventy-eight reported cases are
stated to be worthy of license and
the objections which are made to the
grant of renewal licenses are largely
based upon technical grounds.
Based upon these reports as we'll
as other knowledge upon the sub
ject, I submit as an affirmative prop
osition that the liquor business is
nronsrfy conducted in ths Distric+ of
Columbia ALEXANDER H. BELL