The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1896-02-03
4 A NEW IDEA.
The Supposed Scheme of
Chief Baker.
To Station a Special Officer
in Every Saloon.
It Would Cost $S16,93O TO Be Added
TO the Licenses.

Chief OF Police Baker Is credited with hay
ing a now idea as to how the liquor traffic
may DO regulated. and Is said to have divulged
10 TO one OF his sergeants. In substance. the
scheme Is to establish On auxiliary police
force. large enough to have one mai sta
toned at ell times In each saloon In the city.
10 carry this scheme out would necessitate
having a saloon squad considerably larger
than the main squad.
There are 800 retail liquor saloons In tho
town, and their business hours are from about
8 o'clock in the morning until midnight-l0
hours-or two ordinary working days In one.
AS the proposed duties OF the saloon police
are extremely arduous, IL would be impossible
for one man TO work 10 hours, so there must
be two reliofs OF 300 men each, OF 7es officers.
Then there are 30 places where liquor Is sold
under the provision of frst-class licenses,
W hitch would require another division of ~
men, or $40 privatos in all TO constitute the
auxiliaries, without considering the superior
officers. Their pay would certainly average
SO a day, as it does in the regular depart
ment. for their work Is to BIO of a peculiarly
delicate and difficult nature. So the annual
pay roll for tho year. assuming that there Is
no Sunday work, would DO SSl6, go for the
saloon squad.
The scheme which the chief is alleged to
have worked up provides for tho payment of
this, however. without calling on the city
treasury. The cost Of maintenance would be
distributed among the liquor dealers them
selves, and added to the cost OF the license.
The total license revenue of the ciry now is
SloS. $50, which is divided up smong 800
second-class licenses at $500. aud 10 frst-class
licenses at $500 each, with enough druggists
licenses mt 50 apiece tn fill out the total. I'M
der the proposed scheme IL would still be
necessary to get this slSs, $50, and in addition
the special police pay, or a total revenue from
license of IL, 005. $40. To distribute this among
the first and second class dealers in the same
proportion which now exists would raise the
price of a first-class license from $500 To s42G0,
and the price of q second. class license from
$500 to s2i2o.
THEIR DUTIES.
The duties Of a member Of the saloon SQUAD
would no 10 report at the particular saloon to
which he is assigned at the opening hour, and
remain there until relieved by his partner.
who will remain until midnight: he must keep
order at all times. suppress any tendency to
sing or dance or revel In any way, and he
must Judge the physical condition Of each
patron that comes in, and II he considers that
said patron ~ IN GanRer on becoming intoxi'
Gated, he must forbid the barkeeper from
selling him any more at that time. His de-
cision shall be final, and If the proprietor Of
the saloon shall ignore the officers order to
refuse TO sell. his license shall be- revoked.
The saloon officer shall give bonds that he
will not drink himself. not go within a radius
OF five feet of the free lunch table, and not sit
down, nor carry ON any conversation with
the proprietor OF the saloon, nor the Gus
toners, except on questions pertaining to bis
office, and hs must not act as stakeholder tor
bar-room wagers, nor rIake any suggestions
by word, look or gesture as to what rar.
ticular style OF drink a man shall order.
Chief Baker denies that he has suggested
the above scheme to one OF bis sorgeants, Just
a. emphutically ss he denied having had that
interview before his election, relative to what
he would Co toward decreasing crime.