Los Angeles herald., 1906-09-19
LIQUOR LICENSE
TURNED DOWN
ARNETT PETITION RECEIVES
PROMPT DENIAL
Citizens Of the Sixth Ward Turn Out
In Full Force to Make Protest
Before the Police COM
mission

The wholesale liquor license petition
of Eugene Arnett was denied last even
ing by the police commission without
fire or fighting.
The petition called for permit for
a license to establish a wholesale liquor
store at 2507 Central avenue, which
has been under consideration for some
time. The commission, without argu-
ment, promptly denied the petition.
| The citizens in the vicinity of the
proposed wholesale establishment
turned out in full force, armed with
an abundance of oratory If necessary
and diagrams Of the locality, plying
against the establishment of the liquor
traffic in close proximity to the Bethel
Baptist church.
1t was demonstrated that the pro-
posed saloon building was within about
twenty feet of the primary department
room of the Sunday school of the Beth
ell Baptist church.
To show their unbounded interest in
doing all in their power to prevent the
establishment of the liquor business di-
rectly at their door the little people
signed the petition. which was also
large signed by citizens of the sixth
ward. But this petition was not
was unnecessary with the prompt de-
nial.
Immediately after the petition was
denied. the smiling faces Of the protest.
ling citizens were much In evidence as
they had apparently laid aside their
warlike attitude and quietly withdrew
from the meeting.
Interprets City Ordinance
City Attorney Mathews presented
the following:
I'm response to your inquiry sent me
by Mr.. McKeag, your secretary, rela-
tive to the granting of wholesale and
retail permits for liquor licenses, 1 beg
to say:
Referring to Ordinance No 1896
new series) regulating the issuance of
permits for wholesale and retail liquor
licenses, 1 am of the opinion that the
ordinance means that no such permit
can be granted by your board unless
there shall first be filed with you the
written consent of the owners of two
thirds the frontage upon each side of
the street where the proposed liquor
eSta blishment is to be located, between
the two nearest intersecting streets
bounding the block in which the same
is situated Therefore, such consent to
be sufficient must represent two-thirds
of the frontage on the side Of the street
whereon the liquor establishment is to
be established and also two-thirdS of
the frontage upon the opposite side be-
tween the points designated. In any
given case therefore, the true test of
the sufficiency of the consent will not
be two-thirds of the total frontage on
both sides added together and consid-
cred as a whole, but two-thirds of the
frontage on one side and two-thirds
of the frontage on the other.
Further answering your communi-
cation, / am Of the opinion that 1t is
not mandatory upon the board of po-
lice commissioners to grant permit
for wholesale or retail liquor license
even when accompanied by the re-
quired consent of property owners. I
think the provision for consent of prop
erty owners is to be construed as a
limitation of the action of the board
in the granting of permits to the ef
feet that they cannot in any event
grant a permit without such consent,
but If the consent is given the board
is still the Judge of the fitness of the
applicant and of the place where it is
proposed to establish liquor establish
ment.
'I therefore advise you that the
board is not under compulsion to grant
permit when accompanied by the
necessary consent but still has the dis
erection in the matter, which is to be
exercised in a fair and reasonable
manner in the interests of the public
welfare.
Respectfully submitted,
wv. B. MATHEWS,
"By Leslie r. Hewitt, Deputy"
The following applications for liquor
licenses were referred to the chief of
police: F. Barnum, S14S16 East Fifth
street; George Hubberd, 9O71a East