, 1881-12-25

The public sentiment In favor OF m IN
crease in the S1sa-week LICENSE fees paid by
saloons is evidently making an Impression
upon the Council Conln,ittee~ on Licenses.
That committee consists Of Aid. Purcell, All
pletorl, Wunzer, Dean, dDlair. Ut these Pur-
cell hasalready suggested an lhcrease 70 SlD0,
which we prttsllule. he lptals !. on beer, and
du1ble that On whisky. r.Wanzer and Blair have
both declared themselves generally. IN favor
of ali; Increase without stating just what
amount they think would be right. And even
Appleton, himself q saloonkeepsr, has as
sentcd to the prt.lciple involved BY: Suggest
ing that the saluuns which keep open after Il
O'clock at night should pay double lfcense.
THIS suggestion, however, may b. selfish
on his part, aud it Is Of no avail in any case
since the existing law very properly reqlttrt:s
all the Saloons to clOse at midnight, but: The
Mayor i:eEiects to enforee It. j No shop sell
Ing Intoxicating drinks slioulI be permitted
at any price to: prolongs the revels l1ll ex
eesses Of saioon life beyond that tiour, =: s:
:: The danger il tl,nt the License: Committee
and the Council III acting. upon this matter:
wilfsl1nply agree upon su!c:a Increase as will
alay agitation of the subject, and still fail to
prUYilie the revenue necessary for thaneeded
addition to- the Fpoljce force. : In discussing
the matter III committee there NJ IS constant
reference to 'colnprouiise.' y What is there
to compromise The city: has the power
under the charter to fix saloon ljcynses at
any colltctlble figure it chooses. 1'lle dram
shop business is Of kind that needs no Ell
couraEeulent In its work. Of making drunk
ards and causing crime, and should mot OBJ
ject to supplying sufficient poiice force to
l>Uk after the product Ut its =" business.
The only question at issue, So far as public
interests are involved, is what. rate of
license will provide the needed number of
POLICEMEN. If the fee were fixed indIscrttn~
inatey at :s5oo for: every saloon selling
whisky. we can imagine >s that q very
large proportion of the $500 or 4,0N:+
dralu-sIlops Of That kind In Chicago would
refuse tn take s. out licenses, ana that
a large amount Of surreptitious wllisky-seil-
ing would 20 IN without paying ANYTHING fur
the privilege. But 4 fee of Sl00 to all alike
would be too slnall-tl}at is. it would not
bring III Us much revenue us the saloon bust
ness ought to yield: 1t is a sum which
saio,ns selling beer and wine alone can afford
tn pay. But tte saloons selling :. rot-gut nus
well as beer can aiford to pay twice as much.
and, ranged according ): to the relative
amount uf vice, drunkenness, disorder, and
crime for: which they are responsible, they
ought to be made to pay several times as
much. The saloons: charge. from 10 to Is !
cents glass for Intoxicating whisky, while !
their beer. Of which. q man may drink quarts |
without feeling it. Is sold at uniform price
If i've cents a glass. witl, a piece Of bread !
md meat thrown III. The ratio Of profit on |
whisky is dou5le that on beer, and hence t
he. .whisky-yenders can aud ought :to pay I
more for their priyiles. than can the beer: I
|rlBrs, e. ! - I-s*-* a.. = ] =. &
:. Beginning with sloo license fee for the
the, whisk, saloons should be
;hargei at least S20, and The suloons with |
of concert-halls, variety shpws,
nd brothels should be required to pay S5oo, +
S means of suppression: as well as of
eyenue, II .the establishment Ut such a
ysteln were to abate 50J Or SO low whisky
lives, there: would remain enough: Of :th0se i
laces ! to get liquor at nearly every block, i
nd sufficient, revenue could be obtAfned to
upport ao0 or $50 additional policemen to /
uok after the evil work: This il the pur-. !
'ose which The Council must not lose sight.
/, and which,; II fully carried out, wifi gain 4
ur every Alderman the approval OF all
lasses, rich and poor, and including even the
acre reputable grade Of the Keepers and pa-.
rous of saloons. - - y. -: >:. /: = +;
:. . e..