The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1906-03-13
Ex Senator Says All the Re-
forms Embodied In the
Bishops Bill May Be Bt-
feoted Behind Window
Shades
AMENDMENTS SUGGESTED
LIQUOR MEN ARE WILLING TO
REMOVE BACK ROOMS AND RE
FUSE DRINK TO JUVENILES,
BUT THEY WANT THE LICENSE
FEE TO REMAIN AS AT PRES
ENT
1sneoial q ..rha 1erser civ Newa.,,1


Special to "The Jersey city News'}
TRENTON, Mar. 13, 1906. Former
Senator Robert S. Hudspeth, counsel for
the Hudson County Liquor Dealers As
sociation, this afternoon appeared before
the Miscellaneous Business Committee OF
the Senate which has the Bishops high
license bill in charge and argued that
the object and reforms which the clergy
sought to bring about through their bill
could be accomplished without causing
the removal of screens, etc, from saloon
windows.
The Senator suggested several amend
msents to the Bishops bill, the principal
ones Of which provided that the license
fee should remain as at present; that the
back rooms for women should be remoy-
ed and that no liquor should be sold to
persons under 1S years of age.
The Committee will go over the bills
M
with ex-senator Hudspeth this afternoon
with view of ascertaining whether the
clergy and liquor men cannot agree upon
amendments to be embodied in new bill
which the Committee purposes to subst-
tute for the Bishops bill.
At a conference yesterday afternoon
at the state house between the senate
committee on miscellaneous business,
which has charge of the Bishops liquor
bills counsel for the committee of clergy
men and counsel for the liquor interests.
former Judge Alfred Skinner, of New
ark, presented substitute for bill 1876,
and asked its adoption by the committee
The proposed substitute is much less
drastic than the Bishops measure. The
only question aimed at by It is the evil
of selling liquors to women. Judge
Skinner presented the substitute on be-
half Of the State Liquor Dealers Asso-
citation.
The bill submitted by Judge Skinner
prohibits the selling or offering of liquor
to women in saloons, particularly in rear
or side rooms, unless THE women shall
be accompanied by male relative. VIC
lations of this provision make the viola
tor disorderly person, punishable under
the disorderly act
Amy girl or w6fnan who enters sa-
loon unaccompanied by male relative,
as provided by the act. is also made a
disorderly person, punishable as men-
toned Amy male person accompanying
a woman into a saloon, when he is mot
relative of the woman, is likewise made,
disorderly person and punishable under
the disorderly act
This bill permits the screens to remain
as at present and reduces the age Of per-
sons to whom it shall be illegal to sell
liquor from 81, as in the Bishops bill,
to is years.
There was lively discussion at the
conference on the various provisions Of
fhe Bishops and the substitute bills.
Besides the members Of the committee,
those present We're Peter Backes and the
Rev. Edward J. Knight, of this city,
representing the committee Of clergy
men: and former Judge Skinner, former
Mayor John Hinchliffe and Michael
Dunn of Paterson, representing the
liquor men.
The liquor men opposed bitterly what
they termed the drastic provisions of
bill No. 1876. and argued at length against
them. They insisted that the present
Werts laws contained every needed pro-
vision as to high license and was home
rule measure in that it only fixed the
minimum fee. Every city could make
the license fee high if it desired. It
was shown that Passaic has fee Of
1855 and Plainfeld one Of $1,000. 1t
is claimed, therefore, that the provi-
sion in bill 1853 rnakiag the minimum fee
$500 should net be considered.
Senator Avis, chairman Of the commit