Evening star., 1932-11-25

seat of Governme. of the United
States
The concensus of several court de-
cisions on the power of Congress here
declares that Congress le9islates for the
District with the same power as the
legislative assemblies of the States and
in doing so it acts as the Legislature of
the Union. The failure of Congress to
exercise its power in no way impairs
the grant, but it must be exercised SUBJ
ject to the prohibitions contained in the
Constitution"
Thus the people of the District find
themselves voteless and helpless to ex
ercise their own sovereignty while the
States have already voted on the liquor
problem. and most of the State Legis-
latures plan to meet early in 1888.
With prospects of new liquor legis-
lation stirring afresh the wet and dry
fight, the development Of prohibition
here in the National Capital was recalled
as the campaign to reduce saloons and
finally to outlaw them in 1917 was
reviewed.
The dry fight started most actively
in 1893, it was recalled by Mr.. Shoe
maker, who was the first and has been
the only counsel of the local Anti
Saloon League. At that time he esti-
mated there were about 1,100 licensed
places in the city, including both retail
and wholesale, or l for every 218 Of
the population. There were four brew
cries here, he said, and one in Airing
ton, Va, just across the Potomac.
+ Saloons Were Limited.
/. As the saloons began to expand into
the residential area, Mr.. Shoemaker re-
called, there was enacted as a result Of
temperance agitation, the so-called
Jones-Works law in 1918. This limited
saloons to not more than 800 in num-
ber, and to streets where more than
half of the frontage had to be occu-
pied by business.
The growth of license for saloons
started with "low" license of $500 for
saloon and was raised later to license
of $I,500 for saloon each year, and
$500 for wholesale house.
These measures of the Jones-Works
law. and high license, Mr.. Shoemaker
looms out of the residential district and
concentrating them in the business area
while reducing their number.
Special restrictions around certain
institutions and public buildings grad
ually increased here from time to time
during the growth of the prohibition
movement. Under one of these sa-
loon could not be located within 400
feet of a public school building or
house for religious worship. Another
special act prohibited saloons within
one mile of the Soldiers Home, and
later a special restriction area was
thrown around st. Elizabeth's Hospital
Two saloons in the Capitol building
were eliminated through an amend
ment to the immigration BILL which
had prohibited saloons near immigra-
ton stations.
Wartime prohibition came to the
National Capital with enactment of the
so-called Sheppard act, effective Novem-
Der 1, 1917 This bill passed the Senate
on January 9, 1917, by vote of SIS
to 80, and the House on February %,
1917. by the vote of 273 to 1877. and
was approved by the President on
March 3, 1917. When 1t went into
effect November /, it closed 267 saloons,
including % in hotels and in clubs,
and 80 wholesale places, including
breweries, total of 356 legalized and
protected liquor establishments.
ID. C. Referendum Proposed.
An interesting development in con-
lCCbtOA HtliI VI lIlc
law, recalled by Mr. Shoemaker. was a
referendum proposed in the District of
Columbia This referendum was pro-
posed by the late Senator Oscar Under
wood Democrat, of Alabama, leader of
the wet forces opposing the Sheppard
law The Anti-Saloon League fought
the submission of this referendum, al
though many drys favored the submis-
sion of the question of the Sheppard
bill to vote of the people of the
District. The vote was close, but the
referendum was defeated.
The Sheppard law was said by Mr..
Shoemaker to be broader than the
Volstead act in some of its provisions,
and forbids alcoholic and other pro-
hibited liquors for beverage purposes. +"
With other things it makes Drunken
ness" and driving a street car while
drunk offenses. These are not ofenses
under the Volstead act.