The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1903-04-11

L..I||.Q('U|..|O|.R.'L,.A'|||N \ |.
Sweeping (, Changes Made All E''l|l
..| Round q
JUDGE W.. H. MANN n TALKS ] KS
Expresses Belief ThatHls Amendment ~
viii Affect Nearly Eight Hun. vi Vi
dred Saloons Now Ii
Operation.


The Legislature, through the passage
OF the general revenue bill, which now
only awaits the u signature OF the Gov
ernor In order to become law, and which
carries with It the Mann liquor amend rnai
ment and the high license section, has
placed some rigid restrictions upon the
liquor business; both In the city and coun-
try districts. III, a n. n
The whole system Of taxing liquor deal
ers and Of granting them licenses has
been changed. The tax, for instance, on
social club members has been doubled.
Under tho present law 1t Is 81. The new
bill makes 1T 81 Sup to the point or $3oo
for any one club. and when 1t reaches
that point 1t stops, rs this Is the amount
Of a regular city bar room license. Cluo3
licenses are to- be obtained In the same
manner us bar-room licenses
Another sWeeping innovation ls the
raising of5all liquor licenses from $500 and
....5 to $3.50 and SIZE, according to popula-
ton. S @tssS5 sSSss3 s 5 Sf5iJ
Still another is the provision put in by
Mr. Folkes making 1t mandatory upon
Judges to revokegthe license Of any per-
son convicted of Sunday selling and in
addition thereto the offender Is subject
to fine and imprisonment The same pro-
vision applies to those who arc convict
ed Of selling to- minors.
TID MANN BILL. N rs h t;g
& But. perhaps, the most sweeping Of all "a
is the Mann amendment, which applies
< to the rural sections Of the State, and
10 towns Of under 600 inhabitants, water
ing places, seaside and mountain resorts
being exempted Il sfa a,
The gst8of the bill Is that It requires
a person applying for license to sell IL
gquor In the territory named to secure
the signatures OF q ma jorlty Of the quall-B
fled voters Of the maglsterlal district
where such license is sought. before he
can appear in court for his license. The.
right Of appeal is afforded both sides
appeal Will be on either side from the de-$
cisions OF N the new circuit courts
JUDGEsA MANN TALKS.
Judge William Hodges Mann, the popu-
lar patron 5of$the amendment, was asked
last night for a statement concerning its
effect upon the liquor business of the
State, and he prepared the following:
H. According to my recollection. which
may not be entirely accurate, the esti-
mate made blythe Finance Committee Of
the Senate was that there are nine hun.s
bred saloons in the cities and about
eleven hundred In the counties and towns.
"Of these, while the saloons In cities
and towns over 500 population will not be
affected by the Mann bill, 1t was estt-5
mated that about one-fourth would be
closed III consequence OF the Increase IN
the license tax. The committee also
thought that of the town and county bar
rooms, there We're about three hundred
!, In the towns having a population of over
five hundred. which would leave about
eight hundred to come under the operation
~ i,o m Ca nf
come under the exceptions to the bill, and
It will, therefore, be fair to say that some
seven hundred or seven hundred and fl
ty will be directly affected, and all Of
+ these will be In the country where there
Is practically no police protection, or In
small towns where the protection afford
ed Is likely to be inefficient. I think most
3if not all, Of these saloons will be- closed
3a ut Is, of course, understood that un-s
less the public denla nd for legislation Of
& this character is very strong that 1t cam
not be enforced, and Is not likely to prove
beneficial. sli
'tUnder that view the bill which has
lust passed was introduced before Christ
mas, and was not passed until public
sentiment, In my opinion, became so!
strong that Z felt Justified in asking for
its passage. That members of the Legis-i
ilature agreed with mo as to the wishes OF
the people they represented is manifest
from tho vote which the bill received
1.-THE temperance people are going to
see that the law Isl enforced, and do
not contemplate the formation Of any new
organization, but expect to make their
#fght,if further legislation shall be there
after desired, inside OF the Democratic
party, Of whose action towards them there
Is no complaint.
Judge Mann does not claim any more
credit for the success OF the measure
than is due to it's other friends In tho
Legislature, and he says he sincerely
homes that the effect Of the bill will
Justify his estimate Of Its beneficial re-