The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1895-10-31
WOULD WORK MUCH INJURY.
THE OPINION OF BUSINESS MEN on
THE DIsPENsARY BILL.

Organization Of the Liquor Dealers
10 work Against Its PasSage-A
Committee of Savannah Dealers
Canvassed for subscriptions TO the
Fund-They VIII he Represented
in AtIanta-A DisDensary Law
would Add 100000 10 the Taxes
on Property in savannah Alone.
Local Option Considered the Best
Temperance Legislation.
There viii without doubt be an organ
lied effort on the part Of the liquor deal
! ers IN all parts Of the state TO defeat the
dispensary legislation which has now
taken definite shape in the halls Of Geor-
gia's general assembly.
The Savannah liquor dealers have az
ready taken the matter up and COM
mittee now has the work ar this end In
charge. So far as can be learned the gen
eral sentiment in the matter here is with
the liquor dealers. that is the business IN
terests and property owners generally,
believe that the local option law Is the
only tried and true solution Of the liquor
question. and that a dispensary law would
be a blow TO the business interests, es-
pecially of the larger cities.
The committee of Savannah liquor deal
ers was formed from among the whole
sale men. 1t is composed of Mr. ". W.
Starr ana Mr.. George Meyer. represent
ing the two breweries, and Messrs. Julian
! Solomon, A. S. Guckenheimer, Abe smith,
Joe Ferst. A. Ehrlich and Jonas Mendel.
| This committee divided the city into dis
tricts and made "a canvass among all of
the retailers as well as among the whole
salers. Ia order 10 raise "a fund 10 aid in
defeating such legislation as is proposed.
! strangely enough the smaller retailers
contributed more hberauy than did the
larger ones. A good many of the retail
eIs refused to contribute because they
said they believed the expense should be
stood entirely by the wholesale dealers.
| The reason for this. however, rs hardly APP
parent, as a diSpensary law would put
many OF mem ehtfely out OF business
while many of the wholesale dealers nam
Ole liquors as side issue. II is under
stood that the committee succeeded In
raising only Sl,500 all told, ana that the
heaviest subscriptions came entirely from
the wholesale men.
Mr. Starr Of the Savannah Brewing
Company. and Mr.. j. Bigler representing
the Georgia Brewing Association, are now
In Atlanta keeping up with the progress
of the dispensary legislation, and besides
there is a large committee of local dealers,
as well as others from all parts of the
state. 1t is not known that any definite
line Of action has been decided on yet by
those opposed 70 the bill but when il comes
TO tactics they know pretty well what they
are about, and If there is any danger OF
the passage of such law it is understood
the strongest kind Of efforts Will be made
to defeat it,
A Morning News representative talked
with several prominent business men and
property owners here yesterday with
view 10 securing their opinion with regard
TO the effects of such a law as is proposed
The concensus of opinion is clearly against
the measure.
4.
nah and every city in the state, one said
TT would be runOus to many business in
terests and to the revenue OF the state
Those who are advocating such legislation
seem to ignore how the law has worked in
other states 1t has never yet succeeded
In stopping the use or the abuse of liquor.
such a law would run the business IN MI II
quor from this city to Jacksonville,
just as the South Carolina law
ran il from Charleston and Columbia to
this city and to Wilmington. The adop-
ton of a prohibition law by single states
VIII not work at all. If the whole people
want prohibition it must be brought
about by national enactment, because the
United States is the only government in
this country at least that really enforces
all of its law. Liquor dealers VIII al
ways pay their United States license,
where they win sometimes avoid paying
what they owe the state, county or city
as long as possible
Another citizen spoke of what Savannah
would lose IN revenue by a dispensaIy
law, and the statement would also apply
to other cities Savannah gets about $780,
600 in licences from the liquor dealers be-
sides 1ia per cent on the value of the
stock. Then, too, he states, there would
be an additional expense in enforcing the
law, and cutting off all the blind tigers
that would spring up. This, however, he
said, would be practical imposSibility.
He said that altogether the effect of such
a law would be to put an additional tax
upon real estate which In this city would
amount to at least $l0OO00
The local option method is the only
! successful temperance legislation that has
ever been tried is another view of the
question from a prominent business man.
| "The results In South Carolina should de-
| following such an example. The money
| question L do not think, should be
/ considered in matter of such
1 magnitude. 1t is matter of prin-
! ciple and must be considered outside the
! question of money. l regard the local OPP
| ton law as the only successful legisla-
| ton on this question, and this undoubted-
! ~ gives small communities which do not
! have the benefit of adequate police pro-
| lection. the opportunity of enacting To-
! cal prohibition law"
| number of other prominent citizens
! who have no direct interest in the liquor
question in any way expressed similar
/ views. 1t is understood that the Savannah
! representatives are unit against such
! legislation.
/ Mrs. Mary Webb the president of the
\ Woman's Christian Temperance Union Of
! Savannah, il is understood is circulating
/ a number of citizens urging the leglsla-
/ ture to pass the proposed law.
!
TO CARE FOR THEIR GRAVES