Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1905-06-02

Concord Frlday-Hearne Continued at
Gales Request.
concord despatch May 20, to Manchester,
N. H., Union.l
The now famous Hinsdae license case
was aired before the license commission
ers today when the people of that town
took a hand in the proceedings and as
serted their rights under the New Hamp-
shire law The hearing was novel one
in many respects and was not completed
today a postponement being granted at
the request of the counsel for F. G. Gale
G. Co., who are applying for license.
The hearing was called at IL o'clock
this morning. and at that hour the license
commission rooms were well filed. Chair
man Little of the commission was not
present and Commissioners Kivel and
Keyes heard the evidence in the case. AL
though the hearing was continued to some
future date after the morning session,
enough information was elicted from the
evidence of the several witnesses to show
what an interesting matter has come up
over in the Connecticut river town. 1t
looks like an issue between the temperance
element of Brattleboro, with Gov Bell
of Vermont lined up on one side, and the
tax payers of the town of Hnsdale in this
state who voted at the last election over
whelmingly in favor of license in their
town.
led UP to the present situation 1t is nee
essary to go back a little to the changes
effected by the elections in the towns of
Brattleboro, VT, and Hinsdale In this
state. Geographically the towns are prac-
tically opposite each other either bank
of the Connecticut river. There is place
in the town of Hnsdale called the island
that is only short distance from the
Bratteboro depot and very close to the
centre of that town. Brattleboro enjoyed
two wears of license and then this year
voted mo" all of it's liquor places going
out of business May /, with the exception
of one place, and the license here expires
June l or thereabouts. Hinsdale also en-
joyed license the last two years, and at
the last election, as stated above voted
overwhelmingly for license again. So long
as both towns were under the license reg
ime there was no trouble, and f. G. Gale
&, Co., the present applicants for a license,
held privilege under the New Hampshire
law and exercised it in the very place they
desire to do so now. But when Brattle-
boro went against license it appeared to
the temperance element Of that town that
the presence of a license on the island
so close to their main streets was not de-
sirable, so they objected.
This objection was filed some time since
by the citizens of Brattleboro with the
license commissioners of this state, and
at the same time Governor Bell of YER
mont at the request of the Brattleboro
people addressed a letter in opposition to
the granting of the license to Governor
McLane of this state. The result was
that the application of Messrs. Gale &
Co. was held up, and their place has been
closed since May 1, pending a hearing,
which started today.
AS might be expected, Mr.. Gale ap-
peared today in person and he has as
counsel Frederick r. Woodman of this
city. In addition to the appearance of
Mr.. Gale in favor of his license the town
of Hinsdale took action and was repre-
scented here today by counsel in the per-
son of e. ]. Temple, an attorney of the
place, the entire board of selectmen, the
police court judge, the town clerk town
constable and representative taxpayers,
everyone of whom not only told the COM
missoners that they wanted the license
granted to Mr.. Gale, but why it ought to
be granted The whole affair was pc
cuiar inasmuch as it assumed the con-
ditions of two separate hearings the town
of Hinsdale being first heard and then
after the noon recess, Mr.. Gales side OF
the affair.
The evidence submitted by Attorney
Temple in behalf of the town was to the
end that the license commission of New
Hampshire should listen to the citizens
of this state, the unanimous voice of the
officials of a license town, rather than tC
the petition of a certain part of the cit
liens of town in another state In his
closing argument Mr.. Temple said the
people of Hinsdale voted for license in
good faith, wanted license, and above all
did not want the people of a neighboring
state to tell them whether they should
have liquor in their town in this state
The selectmen present were: Chairman
James O'Brien, who also was a repre-
sentative in the recent legislature; Fred
A. Buckley and Emerson ]. Richards
They all explained that the place on 1.-THE
island" had been conducted in the last
two years in the best manner possible
and there was not so much drunkenness
with the saloons running under the license
conditions as there is at present, with
liquor purchased in the drug stores OF
Brattleboro and drank from bottles or
1.-THE island" They said the town had
voted for license and should get the ben
eft of the income to take care of the eX-
penses incurred in sending drunk Offend
ers to the county farm. They told of the
conditions existing in Brattleboro, and
could not understand why a protest from
the state of Vermont should be Needed
at the expense of the right of local OPP
tion in town in this state.
Judge Gardiner S. Howe of the Hins-
dale police court and one of the leading
citizens of the town, stated that he was
opposed 10 license personally, but that his
town had voted overwhelmingly in favor
of it, and he felt that AIR. Gale should
have a license. He explained that there
had been no trouble in the last two years
arising from Mr.. Gales place. and testi-
fled to the character, standing and method
of doing business of Mr.. Gale. He felt
that the sentiment of his town was in
favor of granting this license, and de-
precated the condition that would per-
nit an alien state TO dictate the license
matters in a town of this state. Waldo
Rouillard, the owner of three farms and
summer places in the section of Hins-
dale affected, spoke enthusiastically in IA
Yor of granting the license and the town
coli oil hot ba
could in favor of the license and the able
and conscientious manner in which Mr.
Gale conducted his license.
This afternoon Mr.. Gale was to be
heard but at the request of his counsel
the hearing was postponed to some flu
ture time, the date to be agreed upon
later.