Perth Amboy evening news., 1906-02-05
LIQUOR TRAFFIC Is
HEAVILY ASSAILED.
Local Option, High License and 9th
er Restrictions Threaten in
This State.

IRENION, req. 5.-BecalSe OF
the present widespread and insistent
demand for some measure of liquor
reform in New Jersey, the appearance
on the House calendar of a local OPP
ton measure has stirred up a COM
motion equal to that which forced
the enactment of the local option law
of twenty years ago.
The excitement has been intensi-
fled by the movement on the part of
the Catholic and Episcopal bishops
OF the New Jersey dioceses, with the
clergy of other denominations, for a
higher license law, for Sunday OBJ
s%ervancc, for the limitations of the
number of saloons, and for other re-
strictions upon the business.
The ministers all over the state are
preaching sermons designed to arouse
the people, and the liquor dealers re-
gard the situation as S % threatening
that their associations are trying to
form an effective plan of opposition.
When the local option law of TWEEN
ty years ago was passed, county after
county voted to go dry" Even the
central %applejack counties, like Hun
terdon and Warren, fell into line, and
there was danger that, if the poll
were completed, the populous and
cosmopolitan counties of Essex and
Hudson. where the liquor element is
powerful, might lose the 5000 Sa-
looms that flourish in them. The Ii
ouor dealers of those two counties
believe to this day that nothing but
the hasty repeal of the law saved
them from being put out of business.
That was a county option law. The
pending bill, which drew an enor-
nous throug to the state house last
Tuesday, in its advocacy, provides for
a town option. The Liquor Dealers
associations all over the state, unwill-
ing to take another chance, have all
declared their undying opposition to
a local option law of any character.
Hoboken is the single exception.
The Hotel Keepers association there.
in the belief hat the preponderating
German vote of the city may be de
pended upon to stand loyal, declares
itself not interested except to see that
the license fee is not raised. The
Central German Alliance, however, is
arranging for a mass meeting here
next Thursday to protest against any
local legislation.
The high-license act which eX-Su-
preme Court Justice Gilbert Collins
of Jersey City, is about to draw for
the church a~gitators, fixes the mini
mum fee at $1,000 and is being
drawn on the assumption hat it will
close the groggeries and dives. I'm
der the present law, $3.50 is the min
imum license fee, and it a be IL
up to $1,000 in the town that so de-
sires. The maximum fee, eXacted in
some of the temperance towns, is
prohibitive. Prior to the enactment
of the existing law, the fee in Jersey
City. Hoboken, and Newark had been
only $50. It's increase fivefold did
not close a single place.
The agitation has shown wide diff
ference among the liquor men them
selves. The Brewers association is
aiding a high license act that will APP
ply. however, only to the saloons in
which spirits are sold. For the lager
beer saloons it would the fee stand
as it is. The Hudson County Liquor
Dealers association objects to this.
An interesting intimation is that
that saloon men may seize the aGita-
lion to prevent the sale of liquor by
grocers and druggists. At a meeting
of the executive committee OF the
State Federation of Labor last week
it was resolved to favor an act of that
tenor. The Hudson County Liquor
Dealers association advises the cler-
zeal gentlemen" that if they want
to do something for the cause of tenn
perance they should see to it hat the
grocers are no longer allowed 10 send
liquors to their customers.
"One licensed grocery store to
quote the address, sells more liquor
10 private families than fifty regular
saloons. 1t is the licensed grocer and
the licensed druggist that are respon-
sible for so much secret drinking
among women"
Montclair has a total abstinence
agitation. The churches are partici-
pating, and the women's clubs are
taking an active hand. Petitions are
in circulation asking the town au-
thorities to refuse to renew any OF
the existing liquor licenses and to
close the bars in all the clubs.
UIsu@N FrI, Nd Grrntnru