The Portland daily press., 1900-04-24
Prohibition Debated Long and
Earnestly Last Night.
Salary of Deering Firemen Settled
Salary Bill Passed.

As usual the interest CT the City Coun-
oil meeting last night centered In the
lower board, where two orders were
pasted after long discussion, which were
aimed At q reduoticn Of the profits OF the
sheriff sffice. The salary OF the peering
fremsn was finally fixed and the bill
passed 10th boards. A proposition TO
borrow $40, 600 from the sinking fund to
continue the work on the north side in
+ tercepting sewer passed the council but
was tabled in the board Of aldermen. An
order giving the street fair the use Of q
part OF the Eastern promenade during old
home week passed both boards.
g In the upper board Aldermen johnson
and Frye were absent.
The order introduced by Mr.. Woodside
at q former meeting Of the City Council
protesting against the manner in which
Sheriff Despenux is enforSing the liquor
law In Portland, and which was at that
time laid upon the table was brought mp
ty Mr.. Mclaughlin, who moved that IL
be taken from the table. The motion was
seconded by Mr.. Woodside, and although
some Of the mem bsrs Of the council voted
against 1t, the order was taken from the
table.
Mir. Comedian arose to q point of order
and stated that the order had at the pre-
vious meeting been indefinitely postponed
and could not therefore be brought up at
this time for con sid Grafton.
President Wilson ruled that the order
had not been indshnitely postponed, hut
had been simply laid on the table.
Mr.. Mclaughlin spoke at some length
in regard to the order and the trend Of
his remarks ssem to favor its passage.
MIR. Moulton moved that the order he
indetir itely postponed and the motion
was seconded.
This brought Mr.. Woods!de to his feet
in protest. He began to d's,uss 1t when
Mr.. Comedian made another point OF or
der arguing that the motion to indefinite
ly postpone could not be debated. The
ohsir overruled MIR. Comedians point
and Mr.. Woodside proceeded with his
argument.
He said that to indefinitely postpone
this order was simply another way to de-
lcdb lba nc bti loNcu tAlhk INC OAuCA AAS6Ao
be either passed or killed. He thought it
to be rather a cowardly way to shifk the
real issue. lie continued to say that the
olfice RS 1t is now run il merely for the
'puFposS of collecting fees. There 10 moth
ing Ia the enforcement OF this law either
for the city or the county either morally
or financially. The sheriff should either
In rood faleh axscuta tina Iawy as fk In on
the statute book, or see that his liquor
deputies do SO or else discharge them and
let the police take care Of this liquor en-
forcement. All Of the police fees IS wit
mes and in serving warrants come back
to tins oity treasury. What they do is not
q special expense to the city but q source
Of income. al hop1 when this matter is
acted upon," said MIR. Wooc side, sit win
find the members of the council ready to
vote either yes or no as you believe the
law should be enforced. Ths question
before us is. shall the cisy of Portland en-
dorss the manner In which the shsrif is
now enforcing this law. Has this farce
gone far enough and does the city of
Portland want 1t brought to an endf
have been informed from reliable source
that there are now three hundred and
sixty-ssvsn places in the city Of Portland
where liquor IN openly sold. II Portland
was In Massachusetts, where the law
limits the number Of saloons to one for
every five hundred Inhabitants we would
have only one hundred saloons. AS 1t is
now We have three times as Juany as are
allowed in Boston. Understand my po-
sitton. am not protesting against the
enforcement OF the law but In the faroial
manner In which the sheFiff employs this
law to collect fees for himse II "