The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1906-04-27
State Retail Association At
a Meeting Wednesday De-
cides to Comply With the
Excise Bill Recently Pas
sed
Sed4
PRESIDENT HAYEs's SPEECH
HE DECLARES THE LIQUOR MEN
ARE AS ANXIOUS TO DRIVE
OUT DIVES AS THE CLERGY
ARE

OUT DIVES AS THE CLERGY
ARE
At meeting of the State Retail
Liquor Dealers Association held We'd
nesday in Newark, it was unanimously
agreed to follow the plan indorsed by
the local association last week, which in
cludes a strict compliance with the ''bish-
ops bill' by association members, and
persons engaged in the sale of liquor do
likewise. The delegates present, outside
of the State officers and members of the
executive committee, were the presidents
of the several local associations. which
have about 5000 of the 1900 retail
liquors Of the State.
President Hayes, on behalf of the ex-
ecutive committee. told of the Intellectual
efforts made by that body to secure bet
ter treatment for the retail dealers in the
proposed changes made in the excise
laws by the bill.
"We assured the INSTRUMENTATION
committee and it's COUNSEL Mr.. Hayes
said. 'sthat our association was as anx-
ious to see the complete elimination Of
the dive and improperly conducted saloon
as were the clergymen, and Were ready
to lend all the assistance we could to
accomplish that object.
I'VE protest against the enactment of
law that would hamper or put out of
business the saloonkeeper who conducted
his place in a legitimate manner, and
had assurance to the seventeenth hour
that no @legislation-o that kind was =cons4
templated This, however,is just what
the Bishops Bilf' will do. 1t will ma
terially reduce the revenue of every prop
erly conducted saloon, and leave the way
clear for the unlicensed club and dive
keeper to do a land office business"
Mr.. Hayes told of what the Newark
local has already decided to do, and sug-
gested this method as the proper plan
for all the dealers to follow. This was
agreed to after all the delegates had ex-
pressed their views, some stating that it
would mean that some dealers would
have to go out of the business entirely.
In some sections, it was stated, dealers
whose licenses will expire prior to July
4, or shortly thereafter, have decided not
to apply for a renewal Most of these
are said to be located in Camden, Jersey
City and Hoboken, which heretofore have
relied ON Sunday visitors from Philadel-
phia and New York, respectively. Rep
resentatives Of those sections told of the
| heavy financial loss they will sustain,
and Robert Neil, president of the local
association, told of a conference suggest
ed to him by Royal L. Melendy, who
claimed 10 represent Senator Colby,
which had never becn held.
con February 30" said Mr. Neil. .4he
day following the Introduction of the
bishops bill' by Senator Hutchinson.
was asked by Mr.. Melendy if could
name ten responsible liquor dealers who
would join a conference to discuss the
merits of this bill or some other solution
of the problem. The conference commit
tee he suggested was to consist of ten
Christian pastors. ten temperance advo-
Gates. ten liquor dealers and ten disin-
terested citizens, whose decision in the
premises was to be final.
81 asked Mr.. Meleady his authority for
suggesting the conference and after some
hesitation he assured me he was acting
at the instance of Senator Colby. told
him that was satisfactory to me, and
that / would submit the question to our
association at meeting to- be held that
day. He wanted the names at once, ask
ing if I could not, as president, name the
reputable dealers. / assured him that all
of the 400 members were of necessity Of
that caiber, as the constitution provides
that a dealer is a member of the asso-
citation only so long as he conducts him
self and place Of business in law
abiding manner.
SAT the same time refused to name
the ten until the association acted. and
agreed to furnish him with the list after
the meeting. He called the following day
and submitted the last, as agreed to,
and suggested that should any member
Of the committee. saloon-keeper or other.
evince an unfair disposition, be be drop
ped from the conference. This Mr.. Me-
lendy was not willing to agrse to, and