Grand Rapids herald. [volume] (Grand Rapids, Mich.) 1892-1959, 1892-06-12
NO MONEY IN II
Marked Decline in the Liquor
Trade.
LICENSE AND LOCAL OPTION
To....-s With the Diffeulry Of Procuring
Bondsnen are the Chief Causes
of Decline.

The head Of one of the largest and
oldest Wholesale liquor houses in Mich
gan give the following account of the
present status OF the business and the
causes for It's decline:
1.-The wholesA.e business IL growing
to certain extent. just as the country
grows, though local option is having
It's effect in some counties. know
THIS, Tor our trade covers all Michigan
railroads running out OF Grand Rapids.
When We first started in business,
twenty-five years ago, the state had 4
prohloltory Law, but hq uor Was SOLD
freely and without fear. What the bus
mess Will be one year from
now It is impossible to say. Already fiye
Michigan counties are prohibition. and
by next May possibly fifteen counties
Will have local option. Ii will no doubt
carry IN every county where 1t Is sub
mitted.
There 10 no satisfaction in selling un-
der cover. A sale of liquors IN pro-
nibltion county - not legal debt.
"our house has had the same number
OF men ON the road tor years, and the
only way we can increase our business
Is by extending our territory.
Not many imported goods are sold
now. There are not more than a
dozen places III Michigan where I'M
ported brandies gins, sherries and
cnsmpaigns are sold over the bar.
They are handled only by the very
sweIl bars. The California brandies
and Kentucky whiskies are Of course
the peer of any imported goods, and
they coat from 81 to IS q gallon.
although business has been about
stationery for some years competition
Is harder. The business is done largely
on the confidence that the jobber has
in the retailer. But l will venture to
say that there are no more saloons in
Grand Rapids than there were ten
years ago.
Injured BY High Licenses.
"High license il what has hurt the
city business. and in the country the
difficulty In obtaining bonds has in
some villages driven out the saloon en-
tircly. You take a village of perhaps
! 200 population and there won't be
more than two or three men who are
competent TO sign . bond in any sum
between So, 900 and $1,000. And it is
generally the latter figure. for the su-
pervisors are not slow to bring it up to
the highest notch. Even when there
are men wealthy enough to 60 on so
large bond they may ~
likely rs not be unwilling to
do it from prohibition scruples. Some
times Q tender of $50 or 500 makes .
wonderful change in their ideas. There
are some cases where man would
pay almost any sum to get q license,
and sometimes the dealers receive as.
sistance from the jobber or brewer in
the shape of loan for thirty, sixty or
ninety days so that the license can be
paid. But it is q mistaken notion that
brewers ever start q man In business.
Another point is that it 10 not high
license that hurts the business, but the
difficulty in obtaining bondemen.
There are eight wholesale houses in
this city and do not believe any Of
them consider the situation very en-.
couraging and it is owing mostly to
local option, which means great deal
to US. Two years ago our house had a
very good trade in Van Buren, county,
but local option has knocked us out
there. 1t is the same way in and
around Eaton Rapids. At Charlotte
liquor is sold on the ely, under the
guise of soft drinks. 1t is only q ques-
ton of time when the business will be
entirely Knocked out in the rural dis.
tricts and smaller towns. The judges
grow more severe in their findings
every year and public sentiment, too.
is bearing hard upon u.s."