The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1906-03-20
After a Conference Yester-
day Senator Avis An
nounced the Micellaneous
Committee Would Present
a Measure
TO BE A COMP ROMISE
FEATURES OF THE cLERGY's
BILL THOUGHT TO BE TOO
DRASTIC WILL BE ELIMINAT-
ED-BiG FIGHT FOR SCREENS
especial to ..The Jersey city News.")

Especial to 1.-THE Jersey city News.'D
TRENTON, March 20, 1906.-After
an informal conference yesterday after
noon ~between ex-Mayor Hinchcliffe, of
Paterson, representing the brewers in
terests, ex-senator Robert S. Hudspeth
and ex-Mayor Lankering, of Hoboken,
representing the Hudson County Liquor
Dealers Association, several Senators
and Assem- mblymen, Senator Avis, chair
man of the Miscellaneous Business Com
mittee, which has the Bishops bill in
charge, announced that he would pre-
sent a committee substitute to these bills
at. this afternoons session of the Senate.
While the Gloucester Senator positively
refused to give any inkling Of the pro-
visions Of the substitute, he allowed it to-
be understood that it will not be so dras-
tic as the bishops and clergy would like.
He also stated he had been authorized by
Senators HiElery and Wakelee, his two
colleagues on the committee, to prepare
the substitute and that any Recommended
tions which he made they would stand
by, knowing that he would fairly deal
with all interests involved.
Ex+Mayor Hinchcliffe, for the brewers,
sought to prevail upon Mr.. Avis to. allow
the screens to remain; also. the back
rooms, provided they were only patrons
lied by women who were accompanied
by husband, brother or other relative.
Mr.. Avis pooh-poohed such PROPOSE
ton, saying it was both ridiculous and
absurd. If back rooms were allowed to-
remain the evils which the clergy COM
planned about would continue to exist.
Nothing short of the elimination of the
back rooms would prove a remedy for
these. III
Mr.. Avis asked why respectable wo-
men could not drink in an open bar-room
as well as a back room. The claim of
secrecy, he said, was absurd, because
he conTended no respectable woman
would enter the back room of any dive.
If she was respectable and wanted q
drink, she would go to restaurant and
drink openly rather than enter a back
room Of barroom.
This remark was construed to mean
that back rooms will be prohibited in
the committees substitute. It is also
thought that the provisions Of the Bish-
ops bin requiring $3.50 license fee will
be retained.
Regarding the screen question, this is
stifl open to debate Mr., Avis has sug-
gested that the screens be retained, pro-
vided that the front doors of all saloons
be provided with plate glass, so that the
entire interior Of every saloon may be
observed from hte sidewalk without diff
Guilty.
The liquor men are still fighting
against such a suggestion, but the prob
abilities are that such a proviso will be
observed from the sidewalk without diff
a compromise.
No agreement has been reached regard
ing the Sunday closing question. While
many Catholic clergymen are willing to
concede Sunday selling during certain
hours, many others are rigidly opposed to
it. These latter claim that the new law
should be made so drastic as to make it
almost impossible to sell beer or nquors
on Sundays.
Senator Avis, it is thought. has an
amendment in mind regarding the Sum
day closing. but what It IS he will not di-I
yulge. II sthought his amendment will
permit Sunday selling, except during
church hours.