Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1902-10-30
TELEPHONES.
THE LIQUOR LICENSES.

The appearance Of the representatives
of the Retail Liquor Dealers Association
before the Finance Committee of the City
Council night before last was not ef-
eectual in dissuading those gentlemen
rom reporting the Crenshaw high II
cense ordinance. but ii was helpful IN
occurring a reduction in the amount Of the
license proposed.
Mr. Crer.shaw proposed the fiat" Ii
cense of s1.oc0, but the committee
cut it down 10 $500. In addition. toe
State demands of each dealer 500 and the
Federal Government SIS. AT present the
highest city license tax is $780, while the
average is SIS. Atlanta. Ga. has 1l9 bars
to our 325. and exacts a license of $1,000.
Scranton has JOG bars. and the license
there is 81 100 Fall River has 9S, and the
licenses range from $500 to 81 800.
Those cities vary in population from
$4,000 10 lO35no Whether the State Ii
ccnses are included in the sums named
we do not know but i, would seem that
the Crenshaw ordinance as amended by
the committee. is within conservative
lines anyway. That 1t will drive some
men out of business is probable. and. to
be plain. that is one of the objects in
view. Richmond has too many bars and
too little revenue from them. The FL
nance Committee expects to remedy both
OF these conditions. to some extent by
one act. The liquor dealers. however. do
1ot accept the decision OF the commit
zee as final and VIII now appeal to the
City Council. BY some it is argued that
instead of a fiat license tax of $500,
there should be a classification. which
would impose upon small bars lighter
burdens than are imposed upon the great
saloons on the principal streets But the
big bars are very hostile to that view.
The committee has already given this
question much consideration. but the City
Council may reopen II. It is matter
,f detail. The general public. without
bothering with details. will be we'll salts
fed to have the main objects Of this
movement successful-viz.: That there
shall not be so many bars licensed, and
that those which are licensed shall pro-
duce far more revenue than we are now
receiving.
Some of the dealers warn us that high
license will be followed by the opening
many speak-easies here. We don't be-
1ieve it. Statistics show that we have
about the average number of policemen
Tor a city of our class. but if we have
.Iot we can employ more. And we shall
always have the help OF the United States
detectives, who take great pride in arrest
ting unlicensed liquor-sellers. But, best
of all. we shall be assisted by our Il
censed dealers. They would take great
pleasure in uprooting the speak-easy gen
lemen. II would not be human for them
be silent or inactive whilst their
eighbors We're competing in business
it'll them and not paying any licenses.
Speak-easies can only thrive in CONF
aunities where public sentiment does
lot uphold the law in force. Here the
great mass Of the people wish to see
he high license system tried. and they
7ill not be thwarted. They know their
trength and power. and they will rot
'orego the exercise of them. II they
80 not get what they want now. they
kill carry the contest into the next
municipal campaign Hence we hope that
the same good sense the liquor trade
showed when they stood by the State
and resolved not TO offer coupons in the
payment of their licenses will be shown
arc.
N the discussion of the Crenshaw ordl.
fe Tuesday night some Of its %
MIS- said things that would have beer
,tes left unsaid. We have 10 dispo
on to dwell upon them here We want
his great question disposed OF calmly
without heat. without passion, without
threats. All OF us win D.. better salts.
fed with ultimate RESULT II that course
be pursued by both sides. But We re
iterate that this community will insisi
upon having not so many bars here. and
that reasonably large revenue shall be
. paid by those that are licensed to re-
main.
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