The evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1907-1908, 1907-10-30
EXCISE BOARD
MUST MEET
IN OPEN
Star Chamber
Session Prevented by
the Mayor.

The Excise Board held a special
meeting yesterday afternoon to take
into consideration the letter sent to
Mayor Haussling by Sheriff Frank H.
Sommer, and in turn sent to h board
by the Mayor, and also to act on a
communication received from Chief of
Police Michael Corbitt. The first letter
Chief Corbitt's letter Of the places
raided by the police for Sunday selling.
As was told in the night edition of
yesterdays EVENING STAR, it was
the intention of the commissioners to
hold an executive session, and the
clerk of the board, together with Ex-
else Inspector Dignan, were excluded
from the meeting. An EVENING STAR
reporter protested to Mayor Haussling
against the transaction of public bust
ness behind closed doors, and after ex-
pressing himself as being adverse to
star chamber sessions of any kind, the
Mayor instructed his private secretary
to notify the commissioners that it was
his desire that the session be a public
ore, and the commissioners acceded to
the Mayors request. but not once DUR
ing the brief session was the letter of
the sheriff or the communication re-
ceived from the chief of police mem
toned.
The commissioners passed a resolu-
ton instrncting the license inspector to
notify all persons having a lirense to
sell intoxicating liquor to comply with
the provisions of the Bishops law,
that no liquor shall be sold except at
the bar or business room, and that
there shall be a clear, unobstructed
view of the interior of the place at all
times.
City Counsel James r. Nugent, after
looking over the resolution, which WIS
prepared by Assistant City Attorney
Charles M. Myers, said that this vas
merely a notice to saloonkeepers to
obey the law.
81 want to say that there are very
few illegally conducted saloons In this
city, to my knowledge" said Mr.. Nu-
gent, land the thing is not to be too
severe IN the good saloonkeepers-
they are doing a legitimate business,
and it is not the place of this board
to find infringement of the law-that
is up to the police department-and
then the Excise Board can revoke the
license if the evidence shows that it
should be done.'
COMMISSIONS Smith said that the
Excise Beard would not and had not
granted a license to anyone who was
not capable of conducting his business
in a proper manner. and Mr.. Nugent
agreed with him.
Some discrimination should be
used" continued the City Counsel, sin
interpreting the law by the police. In
some instances they have been over
Jealous, in placing a construction CT
the law regarding restaurants that
shows over-oficiousness. 1t is up tC
them to see that the law is enforced
and / think that it is being respected
by the large majority of the license
holders in this city, but the evil Of
over-ohiciousness is not needed"
The City Counsel was referring tt
the back room evil and the sale o.
liquor to women in the rear of the sa'
looms and restaurants referred to II
the sheriff's letter.
1t was said that Assistant City At
torney Myers, in accordance with thu
request of the Excise Board, com
municated with Sheriff Sommer in re
gard to the meeting yesterday, bu.
was instructed to cease communicating
with the Sheriff on the matter by hi
superior in the law department, bu.
this was denied by Mr.. Myers, whC
said that he had called up Sheriff Som
mer to learn which section of the chap.
ter of the Bishops bill he referred tt
in his letter.