Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1902-06-21
WANT LONGER HOURS
THE SALOON MEN PRESENT A Pc
TrTIoN TO TIL CITY COUNCIL.
They Want Ordinance Amended So ms
TO Allow Them TO Close Their Places
of Business al Midnight and TO
Open Them at 5 a. m.

Open Them at 5 a. m.
The retail liquor dealers of the city
have tired of the restraint put upon
them by the ordinance passed last
year by the City Council requiring
them to close their places of business
at IL o. IN. and t o open them not be-
fore 5 80 p. m. Thew want longer
nc mrs and with the view OF having
their want fulfilled they presented a
petition to the:City Council Thursday
night. Councilman Porter moved
that the requests be granted, but
when informed that an amendment to
an ordinance had to go through the
same channels through which d new
ordinance had to pass. he consented
to it being referred & the Ordinance
Committee. Judging from the ap.
parent feeling of the members of the
Council last night, he ordinance will
be amended as requested. The petit
tion follows:
To the Hon. Geo. L. Evans, MAY
or. and the common souncil of the
CORPORATION of Martlnsburg:
Your petitioners, the Retail Liquor
Dealers Association of Martinsburg,
would respectfully present to you
honors that sometime during the sum
mer or fall of 1901 an ordinance was
passed BY the council of YOUR corDo-
ration recurring the holders of retail
liuuor license TO close their places of
business at IL O'Clock p. m and Keep
them closed until 5 80 o'clock a. m.
This ordinance was passed on the 9th
dav of August. 1901. more than three
months after the beginning Of the H.
cense year, which, you petit oners
are Informed by counsel was nco
stitutional and copld not have been
enforced If YOUR petitioners or any
holders of retail liquor license had
contes ed the matter but. your ne
titioners being law abiding citizens
and desiling to do what the council
ordered, made no contest of this mat
ter. But now feeling that this ordi-
nance is not only a hardship to them,
but also an unnecessary restraint OF
the liberty of the citizens of Martins
burg and of the travelling public, thew
desire that these hours may be chang
ed. More especially is this a hardship
during the hct summer months when
work is started long before the open
ing hours as provided bv the ordi-
nance now in force and the citizens
of the town do not retire, owing TO
the heat. until long after the closing
hour.
The branch of trade represented bv
| your petitioners is the only one of
all the difforont lines of mercantile
pursuits that pays a high license tax
for the p ivilege of doing business
within the corporate limits of Mar
tinsburg, and yet it is the Only class
| OF business men that the council have
| seen fit TO limit the hours in which
they are permitted to do business.
In view of these facts your petition
ers feel that your honors should be
as liberal in setting the time of open
ing and closing the places of busi
ness of holders of retail llduor licen-
SEES as is consistent with the wishes
Of FOUR constituents and the peace
and good order of the town.
Wherefore we pray you that the or
dlnance above referred to may be
amended so th at the opening hour of
the places of business of the holders
of retail llauor licenses shall be .
O'Clock a. m. and the closing hour
IL O'Clock p. m.
Respectfully submitted. The
| Retail Liquor Dealers Association of
| Martinsburg. W. Va. by
p. Strausner, president.
Il. A Hobbs Secretary.