The evening world., 1888-05-01
HIGH LICENSE INhJERSBY.
ONE-TMRD OF HUDSON COUNTS SALOONS
WILL BE WIPED OUT.

The New law Took Eject To-Day and
snioon-Keepers Are Up In Arms - All
Saloons to BE Closed on supdny-Heuvy
I.osse. Of DenIers-RetnI Rutes Raised
Important Political Effects Looked For.
There is gloom in New jersey to-day be-
cause the High-License law passed by the
Republican Legislature ON March z went
into effect. 1t provides that in every city of
over ten thousand inhabitants the license fee
shall be $3.50 II year. There are three cities
in Hudson County of this class-Jersey City,
Hoboken and Bayonne. The old license rate
was $50. In the towns and villages of North
Hudson the fee will vary from 800 to $3.50.
The second section Of the law strictly
prohibits Sunday selling. and provides that
if three citizens complain to the presiding
Judge of the Court of Common Pleas OF a
violation, the saloon-keeper may be sum-
moned before the Court to show cause why
his license should not be revoked.
Tn third section provides that no license
shall be granted to my one to sell liquor to
be drunk on the premises where groceries or
other merchandise is sold.
There are 1, 300 saloons in Hudson County
and 100 of them in Jersey City. OF these
600 will be wiped out.
The grocery stores are also suffering Sc
vcrely. Policemen are LOW visiting each
the proprietors. Fully two thirds of the
traffic of these stores will be lost.
Other effects will be felt further on. Some
thing like $4,000 of what is known as
" foreign money! that brought to Jersey
by New York pleasure-seckers, will be lost
on each Sunday of the summer. A quarter
of n million will not cover the loss of the
Sundays of tho six months. 1t is averred
that home drunkenness will be increased.
by July l every dealer in Jersey City must
renew his license ; in Hobokcn by June Is:
md in Bayonne by June l.. The increase of
revenue will be very large. In Jersey City,
instead of S55, 900 in annual receipts from
/, 100 saloons. there will be 5000, 900 from 800,
and in the other cities the rate of increase
will be equally large.
The liquor dealers are making strenuous
efforts to evade the law or do away with it.
The Hudson County Liquor Dealers Associ-
alton has retained ex-Gov. Leon Albeit as
principal counsel, and ls has given an opin-
ion holding that the law is fagrantly uncon-
stitutional. He will endeavor to convince
the supreme Court on that point before next
August. Test cases will also be sent on from
Newark, New Brunswick and other cities.
Iii his opinion, the Governor advised the
liquor-deaierS to close their saloons on Sun
day and to renew their licenses at the new
rate, but instructed them that grocery deal
ers can sell by measure liquor not to be
drunk on the premises. Acting on this ad-
vice, the association unanimously adopted a
resolution to close up.
Then they proceeded to make up part Of
thelr losses IN Incense by raising the retail
rates. Beer will be sold at ten cents a pint
instead of seven, ale at eight instead of six,
mixed ale rises from seven to ten, stock ale
from eight to thirteen and weiss beer from
five t. ten. On soda. settler and other soft
stuff " the tariff remains the same.
The opinion of Gov. Albeit differs but
slightly from that of Corporation Counsel
Minturn. of Hoboken. That of Corporation
Counsel Blair, of Jersey City, on which Chief
Murphy is now acting, differs from it ma
terially in regard to sales at grocery stores.
Judge Blair holds that liquor must be sold at
such places at wholesale rates and in un-
broken quantities. He also holds that two
establishments, such as a liquor and a gro
Gerry store, cannot be conducted under the
same roof.
If the liquor dealers fail to prove the law
unconstitutional they will devote their ener-
giles to the election OF a" solid " Legislature
in the fall. OF the sixty-one Assemblymen
TO be elected they need thirty-two. In the
Senate SIX Democrats and six Republicans
will hold over. If of the seven to be elected
the liquor men can count on four, the repeal
of the law will be a certainty. They feel
confident of success.
Their losses at present will be enormous.
Henry Lembeck, of the firm of Lembeck d
Betz. ale brewers, who is President of the
association, told an EVENING REPORTER that
his firms loss to day will be $4,000, not to
mention the loss by decrease of business.
This is caused by the fact that OF the 800, 900
average amount duo the firm from dealers
fully one-third will be lost by the collapse of
the indebted concerns. The remainder of
the $40. 600 will go towards securing licenses
for hard pressed customers. Mr.. Lembeck's
case is that of all of the larger brewers.
The political effects of the operation of the
new law will be very great. 1t will affect the
election of n United States Senator in the
fall, the return of Speaker Dickinson to the
Legislature and the position of the State in
the Presidential vote. The vote for Mayor
of Jersey City at the April election is re-
garded as a straw showing the way, the poIiti;;
cal wind is blowing. Mayor Cleveland rolled
up a Democratic majority of 5000, far ex-
ceeding the total vote cast for his three op-
ponents. As Hudson County goes, SO goes
New Jersey, " they say.
The liquor dealers are united in an effort
to force Speaker Dickinson from his position
as Comptroller of Jersey City and to prevent
his reelection to the Assembly. President
John Edelstein, of the Board OF Finance,
which body controls the Comptroller's office,
is a prominent member of the association,
and he will offer a resolution declaring the
office vacant.
The Jersey City police have started out
with the intention OF arresting every ~violator
of the law.
PENNSYLVANIA Suffering Too.