The Telegraph-courier. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1888-1946, 1907-11-28
City Officials Being Urged to
Adopt a Model License for the
Use Of Liquor Dealers
WOULD MAKE MANY CHANGES
Would Entirely Remove the Issuance
of Licenses From Politics and
Stop Work of Political
Saloon Keepers

Members of the Kenosha City Coun-
Gil as we'll as city officials are rece;v-
ing letters from the national organiza-
ton for the regulation of the liquor
traffic urging them to adopt for use in
Kenosha what is known as "The
Model License Law" This law has
been prepared by members of the
org a nization with view to dealing in
all fairness with the liquor dealer as
we'll as with the people of the city. 1t
has many provisions that are similar
to the law recently passed by the state
legislature for the regulation of the
liquor traffic in Wisconsin and that
are similar to the ordinance recently
presented to the Common Council
which had for its purpose the limiting
of the number of saloons in the city.
Among the provisions of the proposed
law are the following:
First-A1l licenses now outstanding
should be made permanent unless
Cancelled by vote of the majority of
the citizens of a state, county, pre-
clint or municipality.
These licenses should be transfer
able from one to another, as any other
property is transferred, or left as a
part of an estate as the good will of
any other business may be left. This
form of license is similar to that en-.
joyed by all other lines of trade, and
if granted to the retail liquor
dealers, it should remove them
at once from active participation in
politics. Under the present system
the saloonkeeper is at the mercy Of
the political boss, and of the author
tiles elected or appointed for the
purpose of issuing licenses each year,
and as long as this continues he must,
of necessity, remain an active factor
in all political fights.
Second-No license should be issued
in the future until the proportion be-
comes not more than one for each 500
of population, and thereafter they
should be issued in such proportion as
society or convenience demand.
Third-A license should yield a
good annual return to the city, but it
should not be excessive for several
reasons; principally because it en-
courages, and in some cases almost
compels, the handling of impure
liquors, the sale of alcoholic bever-
ages to intoxicated men and to
minors, and the violation of laws in
regard to closing at certain hours,
etc.
If society imposes upon the saloon
keeper, the sa1oonkeeper will impose
upon society.
Fourth. All licenses to retail liquors
should be clear, unambiguous con-
tracts, between the state and the indi-
vidual, and they should provide that
conviction in Circuit Court first
ofense) Of the violation of law,
should carry with it a thirty
days suspension of the business of
the 1icensee and the second convic-
ton should work immediate cancel1a-
ton, and furthermore that the holder
could never be licensed again to re-
Ld1l III STATE
Fifth.-A penalty should be pro-
vided in all laws governing the retail
liquor trade against any minor over
eighteen who represents himself to
be of age in order to procure intoxi-
cants.
The idea that is paramount in these
suggestions is to give as great value
and security to license as possible,
SO as to encourage the utmost obedi-
ence to the will of society as ex-
pressed in the laws on the statute
books, to remove liquor dealer from
politics by making his right to con-
tinue business dependent on his own
will and acts; and to provide the I'M
mediate and inevitable cancellation of
license upon conviction of the viola
ton of law.
If these suggestions are embodied
into law, they will not interfere with
any provisions that state or mu-
may choose to adopt for the
of the liquor traffic, but
they will insure the enforcement of
these provisions by an automatic pro-
cess. The saloonkeeper will enforce
the provisions, because it will pay
him SO much better to obey law than
to violate it. To preserve so va1uab1
a license as we have suggested from
cancellation, the saloonkeeper will be
Of all men most anxious to run an
orderly place, to refuse to sell to
minors or inebriates, and to close at
the hour named by the city.
The Racine County Board has re-
fused to take any action on the new
state highway law. Another pointer
for the Kenosha County Board.