The Jersey City news., 1902-02-05
IE 4
KILL BAD SALOONS
Mayor Pagan Sends q Mes
sage to the Excise Conn
missioners.
TWO TRANSFERS REFUSED
Board Holds a Meeting and
Transacts Business
Much Moral Talk.

the Board of Excise Commissioners
neld a short meeting last night and affer
going through the form of granting nVe
anpiieations for transfers of licenses ana
refusing to grant two others. they recelv-
ed a communication from Mayor Fagan3
ii which the Board was told that II would
be to the interests of the morals Of the
cifv IL those saloon-keepers who permitted
women TO frequent their places OF DUST
ness.
The Mayor begins by praising superla-
t;veav the rules adopted by the Board
He goes on thus
on certain matters which are no1
+o,sched bv statutes but over which your
Board may and should exercise 2 WISE
restraint / take the liberty of submitting
few suggestions.
On the first place it is not contrary TO
anv law for women to enter places where
Honor IS sold. II ought not to be, so long
as their purpose in going there is not
irnmoral. II is a very different matter
however. when women frequent seclnueo
r6ams connected with bar-rooms. and, al
though no crime may be committed 50 as
u come within the knowledge of the po-
nee such resort is degrading 70 the
frrnlv refusing to renew saloon license
for ] nronrsetor who permits his place to
bacome so offensive. you can abate pup-
~ nuisance and eradicate a breeder Of
vsce and crime more quickly and eneetiye-
qy than can possibly be done by the po-
lice. who. however efficient and alert,
must-and possibly by methods APT 10 pc
CONDEMNED in public opinion-proeuIes es'-
dence which shall be able to overcome tug
difficulties of a Grand Jury investisauon'
and the experiment Of a trial pe1ofe
petit jury.
'sEven after a conviction Is thus attail-
ed the resort where the crime IS commit
ted may still be in existence ana tne
obstacles in the way of breaking the H
cepse remain to be overcome. Your Board
has power to prevent crimes which nave
a natural growth in places Of this CHAR
acter. You may blot out the condle'on
which produces the crime before the
crime can be committed. Such places are
well known Plain common sense views
In this matter only need to prevail IN the
consideration of an application Tor the
renewal of a license to a man who mas
so conducted his business as to render II
a nuisance to his neighbors, peril TO the
voung men and young women living near,
and an offense to that sense of deceney
which the vast majority of men engaged
IN the liquor business prefer to preserve
in the conduct of their places, in order
that your Board may render great pupiic
service to the people of the city ana con-
fer lasting benefits upon the liquor deal
ers themselves. 1t is the desire Of the
men who are engagd in the liquor traffic
that the business should be respectable.
You cannot make laws for the govern
ment of the liquor bus'n but ycor
Board cannot be competed to grant
license or 20 renew a license unless .t
chooses to do so. This places the power
for the regulation of the liquor business
absolutely in your hands with no othe-
rsssrai.t than your own fairness and, dis
cretaon You may not find 1t necessary
to refuse the renewal of more than a very
few licenses before the vicious stalls
booths and so-called private" rooms
which are maintained in a large number
of Places OF evil repute will disappear
altogether There is no law against such
rooms; but on the other hand, fhere is
no excuse or explanation fer them whicn
can justify your Board notwithstanding
a condition which has led TO the ruin of
young girls. fostered immortality among
young men and ffled police recores with
the details of crime which wouli other
wise have been impossible. or wlhere, at
any rate. circumstances world moi have
contributed 20 make crime easy and vi e
inviting
After this was read and ordered spread
IN full on the minutes President Bacon
said
.sThe Board of Excise Commissioners
are very much obliged to the Mayor for
the communication, and it will do every
thing possible TO r etain the confidence
that he has placed in this commission and
TO justify the confidence that the people.
has shown in him.
The President then announced that the
rule which says that no one who applies
for a license can do business until the IL
cense is granted viii be strictly enforced
hereafter.