The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1882-01-17
A Dealers Views.
SALT LAKE CITY, Jan. 10, 1882

SALT LAKE CITY, Jan. 16, 1882.
Editors Herald:
The amendment to the charter of
Salt Lake City, proposed by Mr..
John T. Game, and likely to pass so
far as the Legislature is concerned,
is of more importance to people at
large than may be supposed by
some. The aforesaid amendment
would place the unfortunate dealer
III the entire control Of the majority,
whose sole object in the past
seems to have been not only
to tax to the very utmost
persons engaged in the business of
selling liqnor, but to maintain an
unjust, and unreasonable regulation
of the same, for the sole purpose of
extortien, under the garb of law.
If $500, according to the rulings Of
Judge Hunter, was enough in the
aggregate, to charge for the regula-
ton and control of this business,
surely $1,000 per annum for each
dealer, must appear outrageous. /
speak for myself as dealer and not
for others, although l think it re-
fleets the sentiments of all dealers,
We do not object to a high rate of
license; but we do seriously
object, after having paid it,
to be under an unreasonable regula-
ton, which has for the last fifteen
years proved a failure, and which,
IN tho fnfn1ra norrn% nn1
will not be enforced; thereby
causing persons who do not
wish to take the chances to
be at disadvantage with others in
the same trade. During the interim
between the time of the city ordin-
ance being declared void, and the
late compromise with Salt Lake
Comfy, the saloons generally were
open till II o'clock, and there was
no more liquor sold or drank, and
fewer arrests than ever before. 1t
is we'll established fact which the
intelligent members of the City
Council understand, and do not |
hesitate to admit, that the 10
o'clock ordinance does not and |
cannot prevent persons from secur-
ing liquor who are bound to
obtain it. By placing an article
where 1t is hard to get it becomes a
luxury. 1t inculcates dishonesty in
the minds of people, and they learn to
Justify themselves in violating
law, and in shielding the violations.
Persons who gain admission to a
private side board think it an honor
TO be admitted, and consequently
feel in duty bound to patronize while
there to their fullest capacity;
if it was open and above
board, in uniformity with thea
tres, balls and other places of
amusements, say till u o'clock
p. M, and then promptly closed,
there could be no reasonable cause |
for complaint. It is argued by some |
that 10 o'clock is plenty of time to
get drunk on. So it is, and many
people are hurried through perhaps |
On account of the time allowed and |
perhaps in their haste take in |
more than they would if the other |
two hours were allowed. The Eng
lish people are celebrated for the
amount of time taken at meals.
They are less subject to dyspepsia and !
indjg 'stion than the Americans
are. There are plenty of English
people in this city who drink beer.
The writer has known of half an
hour being spent in drinking a
quart among four persons. Sup
pose they enter saloon at ten min
utes to 10; you must either not serve
them or break the law. 1t might
be answered that the same would
be the case were the hour extended
to y. My answer is, first, that sUon
after 10 o'clock the streets are
pretty we'll deserted every night, eX-
cept Saturday, aud if a regulation
of II o'clock was established and
which l think could
and would be, there would be no
fault found, and less drinking than
at present; people would be placed
upon their own integrity, ard no
would be offered for
man to become a thief and perjurer,
in addition to a drunkard.
A DEALER.