Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1907-04-05
CONFISCATION, SAY BREWERS
Gibson Bill ArOuses Men Who Sell Liquor
in Their cWn Buildinga
GO TO LINCOLN TO ENTER PROTEST
Unless Governor VIII veto BuI,
They win Have to Fight
II on Constitutional
Grounds.

Local brewers, as well as the agents for
outside breweries, which own property In
Omaha are aroused over the passage Of
the Gibson bill by the legislature wednes-
day, which prohibits breweries from own
ing property in which liquor is retailed. A
hearing was given TO the brewers yesterday
afternoon at Lincoln by Governor Sheldon.
General Gown, general attorney for the
Krug Brewing company went to Lincoln
early in the morning to get an exact copy
of the bill and the remainder of the dele
cation went in the afternoon.
IF this bill is held to be the law we will
have to give our property away" said one
OF the leading brewers as he was leaving
for Lincoln. There Is nothing for us to do
except TO tight, for II means practically a
contiscation OF our property.
II do not think anyone will deny that
saloons are on a higher plane than they
were some years ago before we began to
build these brick structures for the saloon
men. They say the bill was passed to keep
the influence of the brewers from being
felt in politics, but that is all bosh. Just
because we rent a building to saloon
keeper is no sign he has to vote the way
we would like to have him"
VIII Force Action with schlitz.
The law specifically states brewery
cannot own a building in which retail
liquor is sold. This will force the schlitz
company either to sell it's property at the
corner of Sixteenth and Harvey streets or
force p. II. Philbin, who has leased this
hotel to take his saloon out. ID,
Metz Bros. have built large substantial
buildings all over the city. the corner Of
some Of these being occupied by saloons and
remainder of the buildings being occupied
by grocery stores barber shops, meat mar
kets and in some places as residents. All
these will have to be sold under the new
law.
The Schlitz company has made several
large investments in Omaha, 1t has be-
come the policy Of this company 10 invest
its surplus money in real estate and build
ings and several substantial buildings have
been erected in Omaha in Pursuance Of
this policy.
/ There was some talk that the brewerles
could dispose Of the real estate holdings
to a separate corporation in which the
brewers were the principal stockholders
but lawyers have advised this would be a
devise" within the meaning of the bill,
Must Fight 1t Out.
1.-The breweries will have to fight this
measure and may be able to attack it sue.
CSSSlully On us SOAbNANuNlohdAAtgP SdAu ollt
of the brewers.
When asked what the holdings Of the
breweries were he replied they did not care
to discuss the matter until after the con
ference with the governor.
The new law provides against the brew
ers assisting saloon men in procuring Their
licenses, The law prohibits them from las
sisting In any manner, directly or In
| directly, under pretext or otherwise in Sc
curing license" This is quite a blow e
the saloon keepers for 1t has long beer
the custom for the breweries to advances
the $1,000 license money which the saloor
{ men must pay and to collect the none!
back at 50 much per week. This is strictl!
prohibited under the new law.