Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1889-01-16
ONE BIG SURPRISE.
Legislator Lemon, of PittSburg, Has
aSubStitute Liquor Bill
THAT'S NOT FAVORED In THE CITY
Judge Ewing on the Queer Old Excise Com
mission Proposition.
DISTILLER AND REFORMER AGAINST IT

The news came from Harrisburg yester-
day afternoon that Representative Lemon
proposes to introduce a bill in the Legis-
lature to take the place of the Brooks law
and all existing temperance laws 1t will
be in the form of an amendment to the
Brooks bill 1t provides for the granting
of licenses by an excise commission, who
shall Sit at Harrisburg at least once
month. They shall consider no objection to
the granting of license unless made on
the ground that the applicant is not of good
moral character and not fit person to keep
q saloon; or that he be not citizen OF the
United States. The commission is author
lied to appoint deputies, who shall have
power to enter any saloon during business
hours for the purpose of examining whether
the provisions of the act are being complied
with. The sections relating to the license
fees are as follows:
Section l2-That every vender of liquors shall
be classified and required TO pay annually for
his license as follows: Those whose sales are
under $4,000 per annum, the sum of $500; all
those whose sales are above S25,OO0 $1,000: and
resident agents for foreign brewers and dis
tilleries, except where such agent is a whole
sale dealer licensed under this act beforesbeing
permitted to make sales of their commodities
in this Commonwealth, shall pay like sums ac-
cording to their sales, the money derived from
licensing wholesale dealers to be divided in the
proportion and applied to the purposes set
forth in the succeeding sections.
Section l3-That all persons licensed to sell
intoxicating liquors in hotel snail be classified
and required 20 pay for such privilege as fol- !
lows: Persons licensed to sell by retail, resi-
dents of cities of the first, second and third
classes, shall pay the sum of $1,000; those resi-
dent in boroughs shall pay the sum of $500;
those resident in townships shall pay the sum of
$500, which sums shall be divided in portions as
follows: In cities of the frst-class four-fiths |
shall be paid for the use of the city and county,
and one-ffth for the use of the Commonwealth. |
In cities of the second and third classes three |
fifth shall be paid for the use of the city; one |
nth Tor the use OF the proper county and one |
tfths for the use of the Commonwealth: in |
borOughs, three-tifths for the use of borough, |
NTH for the use of the Commonwealth; in
townships, one-half for the of the township
one-fourth for the use of the county and one
fourth for the use of the Commonwealth. The
applied to keeping the roads of such townships
in good repair.
TRANSFERS, DRUGGISTS AND A JUDGE.
1t further provides that no license shall
be transferable, nor shall it confer the right
TO sell the same in any other house than is
mentioned in the bond or license, nor shall
any bar where liquor is sold in less than one
quart be underlet by the person licensed to
col 4haf LOT h,4 i i
and cease to keep the house the license NAV
be transferred. Druggists are allowed to
fill liquor prescriptions without license.
Judge Ewing was shown the newspaper
dispatch last evening He declined to dis
cuss at length the provisions OF the proposed
law, because they were too meagerly out
lined In the telegram. However, he did
say:
But as to the two sections quoted T12 and
13l that plan and schedule of license have
been tried many times, and ALWAYS failed. l
don't see the use of attempting them again.
"The proposition to have an Excise Com
mission sit at Harrisburg is new. But
what does such body, located go miles
away from Pittsburg, know about the sa-
looms here? 1t might be just as sensible to ,
try petty assault and battery cases of the
Eleventh ward here away off in Harrisburg.
personally, however, L am free to say that |
such a change would relieve the judges of a
big pile of work"
DEALERS NOT A UNIT ON IT.
A representative of one of the most prom
inent distilleries OF Western Pennsylvania
said to DISPATCH reporter, in regard to
this matter:
In my opinion, this business of bringing
in this bill is all wrong The liquor men
should take warning and let well enough
alone. BY that l refer to the Brooks law
There never was better law passed; for it :
has driven disreputable persons out of the
.rade, has abolished hundreds of low dives
and given general satisfaction. L do not
zee why they should want change, for the \
business as it now stands is perfectly re-
,pectable and will remain so if the Brooks
aw is not tampered with 2
A member OF the Mccullough firm, the S
Liberty street Liquor dealer, was seen, and
aid:
81 am, on the whole, in favor of this new
'ilL There are quite number of good
POINTS in ii; for instance that referring to
he sale Of less than quart of liquor. OF i
curse, some parts Of the Brooks law are .
,retty good; but on the whole. think this i
lew bill will make fair substitute, espe- n
tally as it does away with the old blue b
avs of a centurv aUO - q