The Birmingham age-herald., 1907-09-07
Capt, John C. Smith Writes h. tereSting Letter on Regula-
 ten of Liquor Traffic
MANY ARE IN DOUBT AS
 TO THE PROPER ATTITUDE
Says What Is Needed Is Patriotism and Honest Effort By Both Fac tlons to Reach Adjustment
 of the Question.

The following communication from Capt. John G. Smith will no doubt prove of interest to every citizen of Birming ham as offering a new suggestion in the matter of regulating the liquor traffic In Birmingham:
 To the Editor of The AgeHerald and the
 Voters of Jefferson County:
 The present conditions in this coun- ty with reference to the sale of liquors is. to speak mildly. unfortunate. The agitation for prohibition at this time Is bound to produce great deal of feeling as the campaign progresses on both sides. and there are many who fear that its effect upon business will be. if not disastrous, at least damag- ing. Upon the other hand, there are many thoughtful citizens who unques- tionably prefer high license and strict regulation either to existing cond- tions or to prohibition, and these people at least many of them, are in doubt as to what attitude they should take in this matter.
 The council, apparently, Is In a dead lock on the subject. It does not seem fair to say that a majority of the council are opposed to high license when the fact is that they are on re- cord in favor of a license at $500; | whereas. the minority of the council wanted 1t put at $25OO and the issue, so far as this question is concerned, Is not between high license and low l license at all, but Is between $500 and l $2500. It seems that in that condition of affairs, as the present license is only $500, that some agreement ought to be made between the warning clements of the city council and some figure agreed upon which would be fair to all con crened and at the same time effeo- tually stop and prevent the low, cheap dives wherever they exist in this com munity.
 What is needed at this time is some patriotism to be shown on the part ot l both factions and an honest effort to reach an adjustment of this ques- ton. But the people of Birmingham are not going to be satisfied simply with an increase of the license. There are other things which they demand | should be a restricted area. The whisk traffic ought not to be conducted in any residential portion of the town. Il should be strictly limited to that DOT tion of the city thoroughly policed and where it can be absolutely controlled A proper segregation ought to be made 1 Why cannot license of say $1600 an increase of one hundred per cent, an6 segregation of the business within l the limits, say of Avenue c on the south, Fifth avenue on the north Seventeenth street on the west, ant Twenty fourth street on the east bt agreed upon, and thus get settlement of this veXed question?
 The state has already passed an early closing hour. It has passed an anti shipping bill. These measures are en titled to a fair trial. They can and should be supplemented by the strict est regulations of the city council pro viding a forfeiture of license for viola tion. Let us thy this and, if we car get it, let us postpone for a while the drastic remedy of prohibition whict many good men believe will be hurt ful to the cause of temperance and goot morals itself as well as to the business interests of the community.
 There is neither reason nor neces- sity for driving the public to choose l between absolute proh ibition and the conditions now obtaining.
 l Let us be temperate. At least ir dealing with the question of temper ance. JOHN G. SMITH.