Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1890-12-30
REGULATING LIQUOR.
Representative FoW Has a Substitute
for the Brooks Law
READY FOR THE LEGISLATURE.
1t Calls for Many Changes and Different
License Court.
COLD WATER PEOPLE WILL OPPOSE IT
spxc1A, rrnrenAm TO THE DISPATCH,


PHILADELPHIA, Dec. 29.-Notwith
standing the announcement made, appar
emily by authority, that there is to be nc
radical change in the Brooks law, Legis.
lator John H. Fow, OF this city, proposes to
introduce bill on the opening day of the
coming session of the Legislature, which, II
passed, will make a number OF changes IN
the present liquor statutes. 1t is entitled,
"An act to consolidate the licensing of whole
salers, retailers. compounders, brewers,
rectfiers and bottlers." According to this
act, licenses are to be granted to citizens OF
this State, but they must be citizens of the
United States as well.
The retailers will be allowed to sell in
quantities not exceeding one gallon.
Wholesalers can sell spirltuous and vinous
liquors in quantities of one gallon and over,
but nothing less. They cannot sell less
than five gallons of malt or orewed liquors,
but bottlers may sell the latter two beverages
in quantities down to one gallon. The
brewers are also restricted to five gallons as
the minimum which they may sell. No
wholesaler, compounder, bother, rectlher,
manufacturer or brewer shall allow any
thing to be drank on tine premises.
New Form of License Court.
All licenses are to be granted by a license
court, to be composed, in every county in
the State, of the County Commissioners
and two commissioners appointed by the
court The latter may be either learned or
unlearned in the law. This" Mr.. Fow
says, "makes license court, three members
of which will be elected by the people and
two to be appointed by the court, and there.
fore 1t will always be in the power, either OF
the people or the court, to make change If
the license court does not act right"
All petitions, remonstrances or letters in
the nature OF remonstrances shall be sworn
to and filed for record in the case, and the
License Court shall not consider as evidence
any anonymous communication. The ap-
plicant shall have the right to be repre-
seDted by counsel and also the right to
crOss-examine all parties demonstrating
against him. The Clerk OF the Court of
Quarter Sessions shall still continue to be
the Clerk of the License Court.
Little Change in Present Rules.
Nearly all the rules in reference to the
form of the petition and in regard to the
filing of the same are retained in Mr.. Fow's
bill. The bondsmen may be two reputable
freeholders of the county, instead of being
confined TO the ward or township, as at
present. This license court shall have the
same discretion and power in granting
licenses as the present courts, and can re-
fuse them whenever, in the opinion of the
majority of the court, the same is not neces-
sary. and the party asking for tine same is
not fit to be lntrusted with a license, and
shall, when license is refused on the re-
quest of tine applicant, file their reasons for
not granting it.
The court shall have power to revoke any
license on any facts proven before them that
would show them that the law has been vio-
lated and shall transfer licenses from person
TO person, whenever, in their judgment, the
same should be done. Whenever a rule is
taken to revoke mans license, he must
have five days notice and copy of the affi-
davit on which the rule was granted.
The Cost of Licenses.
Regarding the cost OF licenses, the bill
provides that all wholesalers, brewers, COM
Founders. distillers and rectifers shall pay
s., 900 per anEum; bottlers in cities of the
first, second o.. third class, $3.50, and S100
in all other cities. boroughs and townships;
retailers in cities of the first, second or
third class, $500, except where it is shown
by the mercantile appraisers returns that
their receipts are over $4,000 per year.
They then shall pay 81, 900 and the license
money so paid shall be divided, as under
the present law.
Section II of the Brooks law, which has
been the most obnoxious section of that act,
will be struck from Mr.. Fow's bill. This
section is the one which prevents any one
with or without license from treating his
friends on election day or Sunday, even at
his own table. "To say" said Mr.. Fow,
hot har 8 =
his own house and give it to friend on Sum-
day or election day is the veriest nonsense"
The Prohibitionists Will Oppose 1t.
Some of the other sections of the present
bill are changed where it is necessary to
meet the decision of the different courts of
the Commonwealth. A few of the minor
portions OF the present act will be used N
the new bill as they now stand. The mem
bers of the Prohibition party organization
in this city are opposed to any change in the
existing laws regulating sales of liquors,
which shall take away from judges the
control of granting the licenses.
The Prohibition City Committee has
adopted resolutions to thar effect and enter
ed their emphatic protest against the at
tempt now being made to strip the courts of
their power in granting licenses and to
lodge such power in an excise commission.
Any change In the existing laws, which
shall have in view the relief of the Judges
from the more arduous labors in connection
with the License Court, will receive our ap-
proval, provided the conclusive and final
decision of all applications for license shall
rest alone with the court"
Proposed Brooks Law Amendment.
Embodied in the resolutions is a recon-
mendation to the Legislature. advocating
the passage of the following amendment to
the Brooks law:
Judges each year SHALL have power to appoint
three persons. who shall hear all applications
for license, with power to send for and examine
witnesses. That such persons SO appointed,
after hearing all applications and all testimony
pertinent thereto, shall report to the Judges
such persons and places, as in their Judgment.
should and should not be licensed. That the
judges shall thereupon examine such report
and confirm it in whole or in part, by granting
or refusing such applications for license as in
their judgment they shall deem proper under
existing laws. These persons shall be appointed
yearly, TO be removable at pleasure; to be the
Incumbents of no other office, nor to be en-
gagged directly or indirectly In the liquor
traffic, and to receive an adequate salary.
FAMILIES supplied direct with finest
lager beer by Iron City Brewing Company:
O.