Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1892-04-21
ALL ARE CONFUSED.
The List of Wholesale Licenses
Shocks the Liquor Trade.
BEER MEN DECIDED UNCERTAIN.
They Fear They Will Re Overlooked il
the Final Distribution.
HonEwooD DRIVING PARK GOES DRY

The handing down of the list of those who
had been granted Wholesale liquor license
by Judges Collier and Slagle yesterday
morning created somewhat of stir among
the liquor people of Pittsburg and Allie
gheny. There were q number of surprises
on the list, and several wholesalers, who
have heretofore been doing an active busl-
ness, will reluctantly retire from the trade
on May 1, when their licenses expire. 1t
was printed yesterday that Charles P. and
Fred Muegle, of No. 545 Fifth avenue, had
been refused license. The application was
granted, however.
The lucky ones as well as the unfortunate
fellows were yesterday somewhat confused
by Judge Slagle's decision which was
handed down with the list. Judge Slagle
said: "We have received many applications
for rehearings, but have decided that very
few are necessary. We have granted all we
deem necessary and refused all others. In
considering these cases we have found an
entirely new law that has never been used
by previous courts in this county. We
studied it carefully and tried to comply
with it. Many of the cases we have decided
according to this law. but quite a number of
questions have arisen that we haven't fully
disposed Of"
A Limit to Licenses.
The Court then indicated that the knotty
questions were involved in the various held
over cases. The new law referred to by
Judge Slagle is thought to be the one which
prevents the Court from granting more than
two licenses to one applicant. That is, a
brewer cannot have brewers license and a
bottlers' and wholesale license. The Court
has also discovered that 1t has no power to
grant license for storage houses.
The wholesale list comprises 8 distillers,
II bottlers, Is brewers and SO wholesalers,
making total of 118, with 20 applicants
held over. 1t is supposed that most of
these, if not all, will be granted. In the
latter case the entire number granted in the
county will be 1873. Last year the number
of distillers was 3; bottlers, 27; brewers, "a,
and wholesalers, 1877, making total of 191.
The reduction in the number of brewers
and bottlers was somewhat of . shock,
especially to those who were refused license.
The determination Of the Judges to separate
the various branches of the trade by giving
but one license to each dealer caused some
comment.
Intended to Prevent q Monopoly.
It was generally understood the effort
was intended to prevent a monopoly in the
trade. The separation of the brewers, bot
tiers and wholesalers, with a reduction
in the number of both brewers and
bottlers, has confused all of them,
and was being discussed on all sides
last night. The holding over of the applica-
tions Of several brewers and agents for
breweries and the refusal to grant license
for storage houses has LETT the beer men in
decidedly uncomfortable position and
many of them are fearful that they will be
entirely overlooked when the final distribu-
tion is made.
1t is believed BY many that Judge Sla-
gle's decision indicated that none of the
cases heretofore refused would be reheard,
which will leave the Homswood Driving
Park without license for the coming
season. An extraordinary effort was made
to have the driving park case reheard.
Over 200 Of the most substantial business
men in Pittsburg joined in petition TO
have the case reheard.. Chief Brown, of the
Department of Public Safety, withdrew his
objection to the license and in letter to
the Court explained that he had opposed
the license under a misapprehension. All
the stock breeders in Western Pennsylva-
mia had Joined in the petition, but to no
avail.