Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1889-04-23

First UrlJ5t1aeSS Of the applicants. Many O.
them were not up to the requirement of tn,
law-'men Of temperate habits and good mora
| character"
Second-Not necessary for the dcconln1odd
tion Of the pIGbtic. Many of them had no ac
commodations whatever for the public or tn,
entertainment of strangers or travellers. The,
had, or proposed to have, a saloon for the sal,
of drinks Some pretended to have a restaur
ant, giving a sandwich lunch or occasional
meal. Ihat does not come up to the require
ment OF the law. Some thought their house:
were necessary to accommodate the laborine
men and Others in the neighborhood with
drinks; That IS not uithin the letter or mean
ing o. the statute. The house must be peces
sary for the accommodation of the pubIie apart
from drinks.
Third Violations of the la,Us relating to tht
sac 9 liquors, especially selling or furnishing
drinks on the Sabbath or election days; SELLING
TO minors or men of Incorporate habits; trust
ing Tor drinks and taking it out of the wages OF
Iaporlng men on pay-days; having billiards and
pool ta0Ies, cards, etc., where games are played
for drinks. etc, ETC.
Fourth-Reeping houses that loere nuisance,
IN The nei0hborhOod. AS for example-permit.
tlng noisy crowds inside using profape and
vulgar language, or allowing them to stand on
the pavement in front to the annoyance of per
sons passing; having fights quarrels and dis.
turbances; allowing liquor barrels and kegs to
remain on the pavement obstructing the foot
way and offending people with the fumes OF
nquor; Keeping open late at night, with crowds
inside and out,
TO THE GREAT ANNOYANCE
of the neighborhood and persons passing along
the pavement; carrying on a bucket trade by
men, women and children, indicating a bad
place, and having a most demoralizing effect:
selling largely in bottles-pints and quarts
resulting in much drunkenness among bows
and men.
Selling liquors, when a license has been OBJ
tanned, is legitimate business. But, like every
legitimate business, it should be conducted in
legitimate and decent manner. Whenever it
Is conducted in an indecent manner it becomes
public nuisance. Some licenses have been
refused for houses on some of the principal
streets of the two cities, which are superior in
their accommodations to houses granted
ncenses on other streets. Such streets as
Smlthheld, Sixth street, Fifth avenue, Second
avenue, Liberty and Penn avenue Carson
street on the Southside. Federal street and
Ohio street in Allegheny, and others, are great
Jhoroughfares, and had too many drinking
places on them. They are great annoyance
TO the pubic on those streets and depreciate
the value of property.
In some wards of the cities and some town.
ships all applications have been refused. In
some of these there was no need whatever for
a licensed house. In others, where licenses
were had last year, the houses were great
drinking places for workingmen and others in
the neighborhood, crowded at nights especial
ly on Saturday nights, selling extensively in
bottles and buckets, breeding disturbances
leading to much drunkenness and trouble and
causing sorrow and misery in the families of
workingmen by enticing them from their homes
and getting most of their wages for drinks. In
addition to these evils, nearly all had been fla
grant Vlolators of the law. In these localities
the utter Generalization on the subject seemed
TO require the refusal of.any license.
DISTILLERS AND BREWERS.
The Department of Public Safety complained
that dlstillers and brewers and wholesale deal
ers were habitually supplying liquors to un-
licensed houses, and that while this continued
it was impossible to suppress the illegal traffic
Some of the distillers and most of the brewers
and wholesale dealers, when closely pressed,
had to admit that they had done so. Gene
rally they were willing to confess the wrong
and promise not to be guilty in the future.
These were granted licenses on that condi-
ton. But some claimed the right to sell to any
persons who would pay, without inquirfng OF
caring whether or not they were engaged in the
illegal traffic. Of course, such were refused
One who sells to another to carry on an illegal
business becomes party to the unlawful act
and is Just as guilty as the direct violator of
the law.
Another serious complaint against dis
ullers, brewers and wholesale dealers
was that they were selling enormous
quantities in jugs and small kegs and
bottles, and delivering them late at night, and
at improper and suspicious places. The jug
trade is a new business. 1t started up after the
License Court of last year. It was one of the
greatest sources of drunkenness and trouble
last year. Parties would get Jugs or small kegs
at the brewery, and, taking them to shanty,
all night: and frequently this occurred with
the boys. That this kind of business shall
cease is also made a condition in the licenses
now granted. If it continue. or the practice of
1Tr1rrf 70 1Tan acnd
be revoked.
WHOLESALE DRUGGISTS.
Retail druggists are not entitled to license
to sell liquors by wholesale. 1t is a totally dis
tinct business. Nor are wholesale druggists
where the intention is to enter largely into the
liquor business But it may be a convent
ence to wholesale druggists to have a whole
sale liquor license when filling orders for retail
drugstores in the country. or to furnish quart
or gallon of liquor occasionally for proper pur-
poses in the city. But it should be merely in
cidental to their other business, and the amount
sold be a small fraction of their total sales.
When the liquor traffic, especially in bottles
and jugs, becomes main feature of their
business they should be refused license. On
that principle the Court has acted.
The retail dealer may sell not more than one
quart; the wholesale dealer not less than one
quart This is the dividing line between the
classes OF business. But the law means that
the two shall be entirely different kinds of bus
mess. The main business of the retailer is
drinks; the main business of the wholesaler in
large quantities, in bulk. When the retailer
deals out extensively in bottles. pints or quarts
he is perverting his legitimate business. When
the wholesaler deals out extensively in single
bottles he is pervertlng his legitimate business.
The most fruitful source of drunkenness and
the greatest evil to boys and young men under
ageis the bottle trade.
The examination of the applicants showed
that many of the parties having a wholesale
license did little more than a retail business in
bottles. That and the jug trade constituted
their business. Such house is a greater evil
than a retail house. 1t sells almost exclusively
to the neighborhood. One man or boy buys a
bottle or Jug and half dozen or dozen get
drunk on it In harmony with the spirit of our
present laws on the subject the Court has felt
constrained to refuse many of these wholesale
applicants who had license last year.
THE DRINKING CLUBS.
Another fact was developed during the ex-
aminatiops-that in the past year many drink
ing clubs were started in different parts of the
cities and larger boroughs. These are most
disgraceful and demoralizing associations. The
members themselves seemed to have thought
SO, for they were generally disguised under the
name of Literary or Musical Society,""
This, however, is only temporary evil per-
haps engendered by a spiteful hostility to the
stringent act of 1887. These clubs will soon
die out. The bad effects are already seen and
felt: the members will soon get ashamed of
them and abandon them. The existence of
such clubs is no argument in favor of more
licensed houses, for the members could all get
enough drinks without them. 1t is rather an
argument in favor of more stringent regula-
tions. and for drawing a tighter rein on those
wholesale dealers who furnish them the
liquors.
The bucket trade is disgraceful business
and also a great evil. 1t is not unlawful to sell
a quart of beer or whisky in a bucket: but
when men, women and children are seen with
buckets entering, and coming from, saloon or