The daily morning journal and courier., 1907-08-23
MEN TO DISCUSS NEW LAW Wave of Uncertainty and Apprehension Sweep
 ing Over The
 Trade.
STATE CONVENTION
 IN THE PARK CITY
Claim that Great Injustice Has Been Done Those Who Do Not De-
 serve It.

Liquor men all over the state as well as those engaged in the local trade are eagerly looking forward to the annual convention of the Retail Liquor Dealers of the state. which is to be held in Elks' hall in Bridgeport Monday and Tuesday of next week.
 With the enforcement of the new liquor law which goes into effect Sep tember 1 wave of uncertainty and apprehension Is sweeping over the trade throughout the state, and a number of perplexing questions have arisen which the liquor men are giving much thought and the proper solution of which is of vital importance to those engaged in this business.
 This new liquor law will in all prob ability be the main question of inter- est at the convention, It is known that the men engaged fin this business have secured the ablest legal advice in the state and doubtless an interpre- tation of the law from the most con- Iservative standpoint will be given to the dealers at their gathering next week
 A prohibition wave appears to be sweeping the country, and while the Hast general assembly was in session no less than ffty-two bills were intro- duced, all affecting the liquor trade, and several of these were most dras- tic in their nature. For the first time since the session of 1872 a bill provid- ling for absolute prohibition was re- ported favorably in the lower branch of the assembly, although 1t failed in passage. The present law Is strik- ing example of the temper of legisIa- tors on this most important question. In the legislatures of the thirty-two Istates which have been in session dur ling the past winter 1,150 bills affect ing the trade were introduced and in many instances were passed and be- came operative and even the state of Georgia in now in the prohibition col umn
 There are some 400 licenses in force in this city and when 1t is remem- bered that each license vii require live signers this means total of 1000 property owners, and possibly there may not be enough to go round. There are 1S,000 taxpayers in New Haven,
 but this number will be very largely decreased when It is considered that many live out of town, many are wom-
 en and many would not sign a license lanyway
 There was report recently to the
 effect that well-known brewing com
 pany in Bridgeport had concocted 6 good scheme to get slgners for liquor each signer must be taxpayer, 50 the
 brewing company thought of buying C three acre plot in the suburbs and d.
 vIding 1t among 16o employees. giving
 deed to each. Then each Of the f6t
 could sign an application, Everybody was feeling Uncover this until 1t wat found that the slgner must be tax
 payer on the grand list. That put an. other good scheme out of business.
 One prominent liquor dealer in con. versation with a reporter said.
 T am of the opinion that this new
 law will tend to place the liquor bust.
 ness on a more respectable basis. but whether of not it will stop there 1t ii
 hard to predict. If the prohibition | cranks are ollowed to continue they may hedge the trade around with suct unwarranted and uncalled for restrlc. tions that it will be impossible fol anyone to continue in it. The men wht
 have always conducted good places ant
 have always obeyed the laws will bt made to suffer with the rest.
 l "The whole purpose of the Liouoi Dealers association is to place the bus mess on a better plane, and in view l of the attacks which are being mad,
 on the trade in which the better ele ment among the dealers suffer witt the rest have banded together for mu, tual protection. Our idea is not to se,
 how we may evade the law. but liv,
 up to it. and to prevent the passage
 of laws which are both unwarranteC
 and unconstitutional We have equa
 rights with other citizens, and we sim ply ask fair deal"
 l President Frank Quinn of the Stat
 association stated last night that un questlonably the law would work
 great injustice to just the men tha did not deserve 1t. He declared tn,
 law was passed in the final hour of tn legislature, and never had the carefu scrutiny and careful consideration l o,,a1, t,1ao roCt,{rad