The herald. [microfilm reel] (Los Angeles [Calif.]) 1893-1900, 1895-06-20
THE PROPOSED SALOON
Do the Merchants aud Others
Favor 1t?
TO BE OR NOT TO BE :?
That Is the Question Which Is to Be
Settled
TO BE OR NOT TO BE ;
But One Way to Procure an Answer and
That Way Was Trodden by The
Herald-The Interviews

borhood counts for anything it is safe to
say that it will not. Seldom, indeed
does question of general interest come
to the surface for inspection and criticism
and meet with 50 unanimous an opinion
as does the question whether Bob Kern
shall run a saloon there, or whether he
shall not. The Herald does not wish to
be misunderstood in the matter. Mr..
Kern may, or may not be splendid
caterer of liquids. He may or may not
be a desirable man upon Third street.
His conduct of a liquor business may or
may not meet with general approval and
he may or may not conduct reputable,
or more-a highly respectable house.
These are not the questions. The ques-
ton is, do neighboring property owners
and do the business men of the neigh
borhood desire saloon of any character
in their midst? An answer that is worth
anything can be obtained only in one
way and that way was pursued yester-
day by The Herald. Out of twelve per-
sons interviev ed upon the matter not
one was found willing to go upon record
as wishing the establishment of Bob
Kern's proposed saloon. Out OF the
twelve persons who talked with The Her.
aid man the following conversations are
selected for publication and IN these
may be found the one that came the
nearest to favoring the location of a
saloon, license for which has 6recently
been granted. The public then can judge
whether or not the saloon IS wanted.
Following are the selected interviews
T. d. Stimson
T. D. Stimson. when seen in his offices
in the block that bears his name, said
81 believe i'll majority rule. If a major
ity says thing shall be. or shall not be-
7 hal, obi hxv fIA In
license was granted without a majority of
the frontage owners consenting, and |
know of no reason for the action other
than that Doodle was used. ] do not
make this charge and | do not want
The Herald to MAKE such charge. but
those interested will have pretty much of
a job to make people believe that Doodle
was not used in the procuring of that Ii
cense. l will yield to the majority every
time, but in the case under discussion
there is no majority to yield to. Kern
gets out of it by saying that the pro-
testants had no majority. either. That
is true. tor there was lacking thirty-tive
feet of representation for granting the liz
cense, and those protesting against the
concession lacked twenty-five feet of hav-
ng a majority. l am told that the law
does not say that majority of neighbour
ing owners must be had before license
can be granted, but that the procuring of
and need not necessarily influence the
action of the commission. Such may be
the case, but that form is recognized
one and surely should nave weight with
the authorities.
Pointing in the direction. Mr.. Stimson
continued: 'Pirtle has leased for ten
years those wooden buildings you see
there on the northeast corner of Third
and Broadway. He can put in a saloon
there, or a dozen OF them for that mat
ter"
as that his intention, Mr.. Stimson?'
"Oh, l don't know; but he can do 1t il
he wants to. He is a police commission
er. He's boss, you know; ane prop
erty will rent as saloon tor more than
it would if employed otherwise; and
Pirtle is out to make what he can in a
business way. Why, it would be Just as
bad to move an Alameda street crib there
as to have a saloon. Saloons should not
be allowed to be conducted in the midst
of good buildings devoted principally to
fine retail trade"
Ex-Mayor Rowan
Ex-Mayor Thomas E. Rowan was next
seen. He said:
1.-The papers state that Mr.. Kern is to
erect a one-story building on Third street
in which he will conduct a saloon. In q
recent conversation he informed me that
he would erect a two or three-story build
ing. No, sir; l would not be party to
the effort to rescind the license granted
him. The movement is boys play or
worse. The procuring of the consent of
majority OF the frontage owners is not
mandatory; it is custom only, and can
be ignored entirely. The purpose of
course was to obtain the neig hborhood
feeling, but it is not law that says that
the consent of the majority shall first be
obtained before granting a permit for
license. Now that the latter is granted
it would, in my opinion, be very unwise
to rescind or attempt to rescind it. While
| was mayor we took such acton only in
one case, If [ remember correctly. ana
that was case in which there was a total
miscunception of circumstances, and our
action was abrogated without friction or
dissatisfaction and before the grantee had
been put to any expense or trouble.
Whether there should or should not be
saloon at the Place indicated is not the
question with me; it is enough to know
that the license was granted and it is
child's play to talk about annulling the
contract entered INTO. From this DO not
for moment suppose that l originally
favored garnting the license. 1t should
never have been granted in the first place
If for no other reason than that the loca-
tion is within TWO blocks OF the city hall.
Much could be said upon this side of the
question, but it is unnecessary.
CaIIaghan Byrne
Callaghan Byrne was seen on the mat
fer yesterday afternoon and said:
This is not my fight; l have no vote
and wish to say noUhing on the subject.
Personally | am opposed to there being
saloons upon Broadway or on the cross
streets near that thOroughfare. for Broad
way is destined in my opinion to become
the great retail street and afternoon
promenade of Los Angeles. Tine big
number of large. handsome blocks either
erected, about completed, in process of
construction or excavations for which
have Just begun. show Enthusiastically the
future OF Broadway, and the Introduction
OF the saloon cannot but be harmful. Be-
tween First and Second streets there is q
place, and not until one reaches Sixth
can another be found. Broadway is all
the better for it. A retail store or fine
furniture house with q saloon on either
side of it may as well go out of business.
OF course il the street must have one |
know of no better man than Bob Kerns
to un it. Mr.. Kerns and | are friends.
believe him to be upright, honest and
determined TO run only respectable
place wherever he may be located; but,
frankly, | do not want to see the saloon
introduced upon or near Broadway.
But as I just now said-this is not my
fight. and l ought not to say anyth ing
about il"
c. w. K. Ford
G. W. r. Ford, owner of the Boston dry
goods store. who was seen in relation to
the granting of a licenhe at the corner of
Third and Broadway, expressed himself
IN no measured terms OH what he
looked upon as a matter Of great injus-