Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1903-10-15
WHAT OUR NEIGHBORS SAY
The Action of the BrattIebOrO Board
of License commissioners.
Hrom the Brattleboro PhoeniX.)


The decisive action of the Brattleboro
board of lccnse commissioners-Frcd w.
Putnam. j. j. Eckles and Frank II. How
ardin revolving four liquor licenses for
violation of the law by selling to minors
comes rs a local sensation. and has been
the principal theme of discussion during
the week. The ground taken by the board
Is covered by these points:
% The advocates of the enactment of
license law maintained and believed that
such a law would help the cause of tenn
perance by firmly controlling the sale of
liquor and reducing the abuses of its con
sumption.
ca TO accomplish the purpose of the
law it must be strictly enforced, just "a
its provisions read.
60 Ono OF the strongest points of tho
law is in its obvious intent to prevent sales
30 minors
The licensees in question were charged
with repeated sales to minors their Of
fences was proved beyond question, ana
their only plea in cXtcnuation WAS that
the minors had said they were p years
obi. For the board 20 have put any other
intcrprotatio on the law til1n that under
which they acted would have put tho re-
sponsihilitv on the buyer, instead Of or
the seller whore it hclongs
o. This was tho first case Of this Kind
to come up under the new law. To this
extent it WIS q test case and viii attract
attentiru as such all over the state. IT
the Brattleporo commissioners had put
some construction of their own on in'
law. instead Of following its plain pro-
visions. it would have opened the way for
other boards in other towns To- construc
the law to suit their own needs or ideas.
We believe tho position of the board, "a
here outlined, to be the only richt one,
and that its members should nave the
strong and outspOken support of puoHc
opinion in the action taken. The licensees
were given full opportunity under the
new law to do a legal business and rclp
n money return thcrcfroin. They were
not satisfied to keep within the bounds 81
the law, but in their greed, were guilty.
of ono of the most dcmoraliZing viola
tions of the law-anl they ought to suffer
the penalty.
In further explanation of tho course Of
the board all of whose members are be-
levers I'm the principle Of license, IT
should he said that If has hc"n the pur-
pose Of the board TO make clrelul in
qurv of the police officers at least ono"
each three months OF The way the
licensed places wore conducting thci'
business. At their meeting for thus pur-
pose two weeks ago complaints ~
lOtuod with the board against the AM
orlcan and Brattlohoro houses and the
hottin" company hat sales were being
made to minors. ard thr reports of tho
police were such as To- compel the board
To- act. ~ complaint was .olsei against
! the Metros, House. hut when the boys,
whose names had hoou ciNcn to the board.
were called i'm and questioned evidence
was secured which compelled the same
action to ic taken against the Meltose as
against tho East village places.
At least three Of tho boys in question
woro under Il years of age. and from
their looks no one would believe state
I mcut that they were u.