Evening star., 1922-02-19
District Heads Act
Quickly on Report
of Committee.
ADOPT REGULATION
TO GIVE AUTHORITY
Halt Evening Perform.
ances as Detectives Serve
Notice of Close.

Seven theaters were closed last night
by the District Commissioners "in the
interest Of public safety"
They are: Polls, New National.
Cosmos. Columbia, Metropolitan, Mary
land and Foraker. the last a colored
theater on goth street near L street.
Ten or twelve other theaters will be
examined further. Engineer Commits
sioner Keller announced.
Climax to Conference.
These announcements were made at
s o'clock last evening as the
climax to a three-hour conference be-
tween Commissioners Rudolph. Keller
and Oyster and the committee Of un-
official experts which made an inspec-
tion Of all amusement places at the
request Of the District government.
As soon as the decision was reached
Inspector Clifford L. Grant. chief of
detectives. was summoned to the Com
missioners' office and handed seven
copies of the order.
Serves Notice ON Managers.
Accompanied by Detective Sergeant
Scrivener, he Immediately went to
each Of the seven theaters and served
the notice on the managers in charge.
The notice read:
ITO Mai. Daniel Sullivan. major and
superintendent of police: You are here
by directed to notify the owners.
managers or lessees Of the following
theaters that their licenses TO operate
said theaters are hereby suspended
until further notice in the interests of
public safety, and you are instructed
to prevent any performance in said
theaters during the period of sus-
pension.
Board of Commissioners. District
of Columbia, by Secretary Daniel E.
Garges."
Finding Not Made Prbiic.
The Commissioners did not make
public the findings Of the investigat-
ing committee, but. in answer to
Gestions of newspaper men. Engineer
pmissioner Keller stated that the
y(osfng of these seven places was
based both on structural conditions
and fire risk.
Col. Keller was asked if these
seven theaters could be remodeled
or changed SO as to make them safe
in the opinion Of the Commissioners.
He replied that all of them could
be put in condition to enable them
to be reopened. 1t will be entirely
a question of how much money will
have to be spent on, each one, he
said.
Others Under Inquiry.
Col. Keller said the owners of each
theater would be informed as to the
exact conditions found by the inves-
tisatinE committee which led to the
closing order.
Does this mean that all Of the
theaters not closed are regarded as
safe by the Commissioners" Col.
Keller was asked.
He replied that it did not. There
is a list of possibly ten or twelve
other theaters, he said. on which the
committee reported conditions which
should be further inquired into. The
Commissioners decided, the colonel
said, that immediate action should
be taken only regarding the seven
ordered closed.
Special Regulation Adopted.
Several days ago the Commits
sioners were advised by Corporation
Counsel Stephens that they had no
authority under existing regulations
to revoke or temporarily suspend
the licenses of theaters regarded as
unsafe.
The city heads directed Mr.. Ste
phens to draft an amendment to the
building regulations giving them
such authority. and this regulation
was adopted yesterday afternon be-
fore the closing order was issued.
This regulation gives the Commits
sioners authority temporarily to sus-
pend the license of any theater when
the exigencies of a particular case
Justify such action.
Entitled to Hearing.
1t is then provided in the regula-
tion that when a theater Is thus
closed the owner or lessee shall be
entitled to a hearing before the Com
1nissioners, or such person or persons
as the Commissioners shall appoint
for that purpose.
The text of the new regulation
on which the theaters were ordered
closed follows:
thereafter. no building, or part
thereof, shall be operated. main
tanned or used as theater, or
other place of public assembly,
unless the same be fully fireproof-
ed in accordance with the law and
the building regulations and 9TH
erwise fully complies with law
and regulations as to the struc-
tural safety of such building and
every part thereof. The Commits
sioners may at any time revoke
the license for any such building,
or part of building, and prohibit
the use thereof for such purpose,
which fails to conform to the fore
going requirements. and may gum
marily and Immediately close any q
g, such building, or part thereof.
when, in their judgment, such
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