Arizona republican., 1906-07-17
THE SALOON LICENSE
 STANDS Al SI,OOO
The Petition for Reduction Rejected
 Last Night.

The liquor dealers of the city ap- peared before the city council at a meeting held last evening, presented a petition and through Captain J. L. B. Alexander, who appeared their spokesman, explained the effect the re- cent raise in their license would have on their business. The meeting had been called by Mayor COggins at the request of several of the liquor men. who desired. that any action which the council might take would be before the ordinance raising the license would go into effect, which is August 1, and this would not be possible if the presenta- tion of the petition was postponed until the regular meeting of the council, which is August 6. All Of the mem bers of the council were in attendance and about twenty-five of the liquor dealers of the city were present.
 Preceding the remarks made by MT. Alexander, R. F. Doll made a short speech to the council He was posi- tive that the raise in license was against the interests of a large citizen ship of the town. MT. Alexander ad- vanced several arguments in behalf of those he represented. The season of the year was a time when the raise would be particular hardship. Trade
 
 and while it was possible that during the winter months it would be possible to pay the high license there were many in the saloon business in Phoenix who could not pay it during the sum mer. He had understood that the raise in the saloon license was made that street sprink ing might be resumed. The increased revenue he thought was far in excess of the expense of the street sprinkling. He compared the re- cent raise of the gambling license with the saloon license and pointed out the fact that there was a wide discrepancy in the percentage of the increases.
 He argued that the saloon men were men who resided permanently in Phoe- nix, that they were dealing in a com- modity produced from products of this country, while the gambler was in most cases a transient; he produced nothing and dealt in no production and most generally was irresponsible. Under such circumstances to him the raises made by the council were badly out of proportion. In concluding his remarks he explained that the saloon men whom he represented were not before the council in a threatening mood but came as petitioners and asked that only what was considered fair by the council be NHtlT dCliOu-
 Mayor Coggins urged that any other citizen present make any remarks he might desire that the matter under consideration might be fully consid- cred at this time. No one apparently had anything to add to the remarks of MT. Alexander. The mayor then asked the council what its pleasure was in reference to the petition. On mo- tion the petition was laid on the table on a roll call, all the members voting aye.
 The petition of the liquor men sets forth that it would be impossible for many of them to pay the federal. county and the city license in the in creased amount and operate; that it is the desire to contribute more than it has in the past to the expense of op- erating the city; that the license of 5000 is higher than obtains in any other city in the United States with few exceptions. and those are where a larger population exists; that if the license was less than the amount fixed more saloons could operate and the