The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1893-04-07
A License Law.

"A NcliNol1OiIpNht VI t'~ A'ie.
Carmel Ledger writes as follows:
Judge Savidge has two things now
that interest him immensely-judicially
administering the law and the passing
of law to be judicially administered.
The law which he wishes to have pass
ed relates to the all-engrossing subject
Of license. Senator Hackenburg in
troduced a vill some time ago drawn
by Judge Archibald, Of Scranton, put
ting the granting oflicense in the hands
Of 81 commissioners. 1t was at once
seen that such a law would be too
cumbersome, though it contained some
excellent suggestions, and re-enacted
the Brooks law with its crude and OBJ
jectionable features eliminated. Judge
Savidge and Judge Sittser, who have
given the subject as much thought as
any judges in the commonwealth, have
drafted new bill which divides the
state into "a districts, which it is pro-
posed to substitute for the original
bill. Ten license judges to be ap.
pointed by the governor, will grant
the licenses. The judges shall be men
learned in the law and receive salary
of $1,000 year. The board will be
composed Of the very best material
the state affords and Of course $1,000
a year will insure the appointment of
good men. The governor appoints
them for 10 years and the salary is to
be paid out of the applications for Ii
cense, an additional fee of $500 to be
added to each application so the new
system will not cost the tax payers a
cent. The commissions are to be
graded that every two years license
judges commission expires. No man
to sit in the district from which ap-
pointed a democrat to be succeeded
by republican, and on the day Of
granting licenses license Judge Of
each political persuasion to be on the
bench. When appointed the judges
are to meet at Harrisburg on the first
Mondays of October, January, and
April of each year, and elect one Of
their number president of the board.
The president shall assign one judge
to each district, whose license is to be
granted during the three months next
succeeding. 1t shall be the duty Of
the license judge to 60 upon the pre-
misses of each applicant and make a
thorough examination as to the neces-
sity for license, the accommodations,
and the character Of the applicant.
Hearings conducted same as under
present law. In the first districts
the applications must be filed on or
before the 1st Of January, licenses to
take effect April 1st. In the and 8
districts applications must be filed be-
fore April rst and the license to take
effect July Ist. In the end eight is
located Northumberland county, our
district being the I4th, the other coun-
ties being Dauphin, Perry, and Leban-
on.
Judge Savidge says what is very
true, that a judge cannot inspect the
premises of each applicant and in
granting licenses he must necessarily
be cropping in the dark to some ex-
tent. Again the duties are not Of such
character that they should be impos-
ed on the quarter sessions court judges
who now, in most cases, have enough
to do without them. The bill may
not pass this legislature but it is in the
line and bound to become law. One
Of our prominent judges speaking of
this matter said something should be
done it has about reached my price.
A hundred thousand has been offered
and l may be compelled to resign