The Telegraph-courier. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1888-1946, 1907-06-27
New State Law for Regulation Of
Saloons Proposed Instead of
Ordinance Now Pending
SALOON FOR EACH $50 PEOPLE
The State Law Would Legis1ate Out of
Business Many of the Men Who
Are Now Operating Saloons.
in the City of Kenosha

Copies Of the new State law for the
limiting of the number of saloons to be
operated in any city or village Of the
state we're sent to Kenosha this morn.
ing, and they will be sent to the mem
bers of the Common Council by the
men who are opposing the passage of
the present limitation ordinance now
before the Common Council. The
scope of the state law is far broader
than that of the ordinance now before
the Council, but it does not place such
a narrow limit on the number of sa-
looms to be operated. 1t provides that
after the first of July of this year no
saloon licenses shall be granted to
any person to sell liquor in towns,
cities or villages where the number OF
saloons shall be greater than one for
each $50 inha bitants. The law, how
ever, provides that the number of IL
censes now in operation shall not be
diminished and that the Common
Councils and Town Boards shall have
the right to issue an equal number
from year to year pending an increase
in population which would make pos
sible an addition to the number. The
law also provides that the licenses
shall be issued for the places where
saloons are now being conducted, un-
less the owner shall decline to further
lease the property for saloon purposes
or the building be destroyed by fire or
W L. L
BILE the prescribing of saloon districts
in the city and gives the people of all
cities the right to demonstrate by a
ma jority of the property owners
against the granting of such licenses.
It also makes it illegal for the Council
to issue any saloon license to any one
who has not been made reg ular nat
uralized citizen of the United States,
nor to any one who has been con-
victed of a crime or served penal
servitude in any state institution.
It is claimed by the men ow OPP
posing the Kenosha ordinance that it
would be unconstitutional on account
of the fact that it places the limit at
higher figure than that named In the
state law. It is claimed that the
strict enforcement of the state laws
would legislate out of business many
saloons now being conducted IN ke-
nosha by foreigners. Some Of the
men who have been granted saloon
licenses have not been residents OF
the country for five years and many
of them are not naturalized citizens
and there are grave doubts 1t they
have the qualifications to secure such
citizenship. The state law will be
used as basis for the drawing OF
substitute ordinance to the one now
before the Council and it is expected
that this ordinance will be presented
to the Council at an early date.
Copies of the state law are being
freely circulated among the city
officials and members of the Common
Council and it is expected that It will
have great weight in determining the
action of the Council. 1t is possible
that the fight that is being made on
the ordinance will result IN its being
withdrawn and if this should be done
the only limit for the saloons would
be that placed by strict enforcement
of the state law.
The enforcement Of the state law
would allow the point demanded by
the brewers and at the same time in
would place limit on the saloons in
city. Kenosha now has ninety saloons
and it has close to twenty thousand
inhabitants so that the number of
saloons would be very near to the
normal number under the state law.