The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1904-11-10
LICENSE HEARING.

A public hearing was given on
Thursday evening in Representatives.
hall before the joint temperance CON-
mittee to discuss measures to better
the present license local option law.
Senator Slack and Mr.. Graves presid-
ed at the hearing which was attended
by d large number of Representatives
and people interested in the question.
J.. Fl. Senter, States attorney for
Washington county, upon request went
over the various sections of the law
pointing out the parts which are weak
and have caused trouble in the practi-
cal execution of the intent of the law.
He thought that section /. which
terms what shall constitute "intoxi-
eating liquors, should not include
cider and beer which contains not
more than two per cent of alcohol.
The present section enumerates the
various kinds of liquors which shall
not contain more than one per cent of
alcohol, and sections 2 and 3 should
be consolidated SO that at the same
time people vote yes or mo" they
shall also specify whether it shall be
for the sale of all kinds of liquors or
beer and matted liquors only. This
would inform the successful applicant
for license in time so that he would
not be put to the expense of preparing
for the sale of liquors of ali kinds
when later a vote in favor of matted
liquors only might be taken.
With respect to the appointment of
license commissioners and their pow
ers, Mr.. Senter thought that their
term of Office should be but for one
year instead of six, hat their right to
grant druqri0ts licenses in towns vot-
ing mo" lhoald be taken away and
given to The selectmen. He urged at
least that the law make clear who has
power to grant druggists licenses in
towns voting "no', whether selectmeu
or commissioners.
The much discussed question of hav-
ing 8 fixed date for the expiration of
all licenses was urged. A man might
delay opening his place of business at
the time allowed by the law and his
license would be in effect for a year
from the date of opening. In the
meantime the town mighs vote mo"
but his license would he in effect I'M
til his year limit ran out just the
same.
In reference to section 81, recently
declared unconstitutional by the Su-
preme Court in that it is class legisla-
ton to allow farmers the right to sell
cider and home made wines without a
license, he summed up the flaw in
the law from another standpoint by
saying "You can't exempt Vermont
wine any more than you can tax New
Hampshire potatoes"
Another much discussed point.
what constitutes retail and Wholesale,
was taken up. A specific quantity
limit should be made so that a
holder of a second Glars license could
sell only quantities less Than a certain
amount and wholesalers (of the fourth
olass) only in quantities over a certain
amount At the present time a holder
of a second class license, for which he
pays 5000. is Restriction only by "rot to
be drunk on the premises, while a
wholesaler pays $1,000 a year and can
sell only to holders of a license by rea.
son of the definition of "a wholesaler.
Mr.. Senter referred to the 9Th class
or druggists license, as the black eye
of the whole law and said he believed
there were more violations under this
license han all of the others put to-
gether, Later in the evening when
asked what his idea was of legislation
with reference to this class of Licenses,
he said, 81 would abolish it altogeth-
err
He urged the revision Of the section
of search and seizure as there is no
provision for oondemning the liquor
or for asoertaining whether it was
| kept for unlawful sale.
Other suggestions made by Mr.. Sen.
| ter were that nobody should be al
| lowed to solicit orders for liquors
| States attorneys and grand Jurors
| should be prosecuting oficers-license