Windham County reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1901-1906, 1903-02-20
METHOD OF PROCEDURE.

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UNDER THE NEW LICENSE LOCAL OPTION
LAW WHICH is NOW IN FORCE.
Description Of the Various Steps Beginning
With the Vote Taken at the March Town
Meetings The Formalities Which Have to
be Gone Through With Before the Sale Of
Liquor Actually Begins.
Every town in Windham county has
been officially notified by this time OF
it's annual town meeting which will be
held Tuesday, March g. These meet
inps are of unusual interest this year
for the reason that the question of Ii
cense or no license comes up for settle
ment. For the benefit of those who
have not made themselves familiar with
the workings of the new law The ke-
former takes this opportunity OF de-
scribing the system in detail.
In the first place it will be noted
that all the warrants contain the fol-
lowing article: "Shall licenses be
granted for the sale fo intoxicating IL
Guors in this town." The vote on this
question will be taken by ballot, the
box being opened at the time the meet
ing is called and closed at 3 O'Clock IN
the afternoon. In the case the major
ity of citizens of town vote mo- the
question is settled then and there for
one year. In case the town votes yes
there is still another question to settle,
for upon application Of six voters, the
selectmen are obliged to call special
town meeting TO determine the kind OF
licenses to be issued in the town
whether for the sale of liquors of all
kinds. or for the sale of beer and matted
liquor only.
when a town votes for license the Sc
lectmep shall within 16 days appoint a
hoard of license commissioners consist
inc of three persons. One member shall
be appointed from each leading politi-
cal marty and the third member may
also be from one of these parties. The
term of office of these license commits
sioners shall begin at the date of their
appoinment which shall be so fixed
as to expire at the end of two,
four and six years from the first
day of May. The license board shall
cause to be printed in two news
papers all applications for licenses to,
pether with the natice of time and
place for a public hearing on the APP
nlicatious These notices have to ap-
pear once a week for three successive
weeks, and copies for each notice for
anplication must be posted on the
premises described as we'll as In two or
more places where public notices are
generally posted
At the time and place designated in
the notice the license board will give
hearing on the applications. This hear
ing will be at least three weeks after
the appointment of the board. If the
owner of an occupied dwelling within
d feet of the room in which the appli-
cants proposes to do business shall file
an objection in 'erson. or by written
communication, or il the majority OF
property holders on the street IN which
the license is to be operative, or with
in 400 feet of either side, shall lille OBJ.
iections in writing, the license shall
not be granted unless by unanimous
decision of the board. No license shall
be granted for the sale of liquor of any
kind within 200 feet of a church or OF
any building occupied by public oI
parochial school. This restriction, how
ever, does not apply to wholesale or re
tail druggists or to holders.
The license board has a right to re
fuse to issue license to anyone whom
it considers an unfit person. In order
to secure license the applicant must
be at least 25 years old and resident OF
the town in which application is made.
II he is a person whose license has been
revoked for cause in any town IN the
state, or a member of the household OF
such person, or if he is reputed to be
person conducting house of i'll fame
or gambling place Of any kind, no IL
cense shall be granted him.
The number of licenses granted in q
town shall not exceed one for each
thousand of population and major frac-
tion thereof, except in towns of less
than 1900 population in which cases
the license board shall determine the
number. However, such towns shall not
have more than two licenses, one OF
which shall be of the second class.
This ratio does not include licenses OF
the 9th and 9th classes, i. e., those al.
lowing the sale of liquor for medicinal
purposes and in summer hotels.
In towns where licenses are granted
the following conditions are imposed
No liquor can be furnished or sold be-
tween the hours of IL O'Clock p. m.
and 6 O'Clock IA. M: except by IL
censed pharmacist on prescription. No
| LIQUOR can be sold or furnished on Sun
DAYS, nor on days when national, city,
town or village elections are held. ex-
cept by an inn holder to guests or by a
licensed pharmacist. No liquor can be
sold or furnished to minor, nor to an
habitual drunkard, nor to person
who is known to have been intoxicated
within the previous six months, nor to
an insane person or pauper, nor to a
person who has within the year preced
ing received help from the town. MOI
person whose husband, wife, brother,
sister, guardian or employer has given
notice in writing to the licensee for
bidding sale to such person.
Every town agency will be closed
March 3, the day before the town meet
ings, and dealers in light beers who
continue after that date will be liable
to prosecution unless the beverage in
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