Los Angeles herald., 1907-11-05
COUNCIL EVASIVE ON
LIQUOR QUESTION
LAWS CONTRADICTORY is CON-
PLANT OF LEAGUE
New Defining Of Wholesaler and Sep
aratIon of Cafe and Saloon De-
manded-MinIsters Urge
Changes

| Lengthy debate marked the effort of
| the Civic righteousness league to induce
the city council yesterday to take posi-
| tive stand on two phases of the liquor
| question.
One phase was that asking that a whole
sale liquor house be defined as such by
reuqiring that 1t sell or give away not
less than five gallons to a customer, on
the theory that wholesalers should not
sell at retail.
| The other clause was that preventing
the use of saloon and a cafe license
under one roof or in the same building.
A delegation of ministers was on hand
to defend the leagues course and the
recommendations of the league. ath-
an Newby, chairman Of the committee,
addressed the council in support of the
reforms.
Present Law contradicts
Mr.. Newby said there existed a lack
of harmony in the ordinance because
while in one place 1t was stated that q
wholesaler was one who sold five gallons
or over, in another section wholesaler
was permitted to sell as small a quantity
as one-fifth of a gallon. Obviously. he
said, this was but subterfuge for a
saloon business.
EITHER we should stop dealing by false
pretenses or we should make the laws
fit the fixed policy of the city," said Mr.
Newby.
1--WE hope the new law will put out of
business such grocers as sell liquors in
retail quantities. Let them get retail
liquor license if they want to do that kind
of business
Turning to the second proposition At
torney Newby said there were many
places in Los Angeles where a saloon
had a side entrance ''for ladies' which
consisted of low partition. In the cafe
section to which these walks led, how
ever, there was no partition separating
the saloons from the cafes.
| In other words women and children
could get liquor in these places though
they would be refused in saloon.
President Pease remarked that he was
not aware that such places existed.
Dealers Ask Delay
President 1. N. Green of the Wholesale
Liquor Dealers association. said that
counsel for that body was in Goldfeld,
but he felt sure the wholesalers could, If
given a chance, present answers to the
arraignment fair to everyone.
Councilman Healy objected to con-
sideration of the communication, saying
that If the church people really wanted
to do good they could do better by taking
girls out of stores where they earn Sc a
week, and send them to school.
Councilman Clampitt remarked that the
city needed the tax money of the liquor
interests right now and to cut down the
wholesalers privileges would be to do
away with this much-neded source of in
come.
President Pease took the floor to deliver
an emphatic address, stating that the
present action savors of robbing business
men of their vested rights While he
would go as far as any councilman in
regulating the business, he did not believe
in cutting the men who have their capt.
tai out of their money by confiscatory
action, even though such were the coun-
ellis privilege.
Threatens Initiative
Attorney Newly resented these re-
marks, saying that every authority holds
that in getting liquor licenses no men
obtain any vested rights-the courts have
so held.
Hhe intimated that the initiative would
be resorted to if necessary to carry their
point.
Councilman Wallace called attention to
the serious phase that an initiative pro-
ceeding would prove costly to the city
and he thought some further time should
be given to study the situation inasmuch
as plan to raise all liquor licenses was
pending.
Councilman Wallace suggested using
the one gallon mark as the line of de-
marcation between the wholesaler and
retailer
The question was finally laid over until
December 9.
In the chamber were Revs. z. A. Healy,
c. c. Pierce, Montgomery, A w. Adkin-
son and Willis s. Myers.