The morning journal-courier. (New Haven, Conn.) 1907-1913, 1908-04-27
DRY NEW ENGLAND
Radical shake-Up in Liquor
Business Due May
First.
OPTION THE CAUSE
Worcester, Mnss., Becomes the Largest
No-Liccnse Municipality In
the World.

Boston, April 26---Condltlons gov
ernlng traffic IN intoxicating liquors
In many portions of New England be-
come considerably disturbed on the
first OF May, when changes in local
option take effect, and temperance
workers are pointing TO the general
situation as an index Of spread.
Ing sentiment against the saloon. In
Massachusetts, by changes In six cit
les and thlrty-siX towns, 2i0 licensed
places, or 10 per cent OF the total
number must abandon the liquor
business al II o'clock Thursday night
In Vermont only twenty-seven cities
and towns will legallze tho sale OF
liquor this year as compared with
ninety-two license cities and
towns Ave years ago, when Local
option took the place of state prohibit
ton. In New Hampshire an import
ant ruling OF the state license com
missioner takes effect on May /
whereby druggists licenses through.
out the state will be abolished, and
In Rhode Island the temperance in.
terests have Just succeeded in forcing
restrictive liquor legislation through
the house OF representatives.
A more radical upsettlng OF thu
liquor policy Of Massachusetts ha!
not occurred In fifteen years than vii
be brought about on May wher
three Of the largest manufacturing
cities Of the state and a number o
smaller places, after long periods o
license, give UP the liquor traffic, II
accordance with the will Of the peo
pie as expressed at the polls durlnl
recent months. One Of these cities
Worcester with us population o
over 100000, is shown by statistic
TO be the largest municipality in tn,
country, II not IN the world, under
no-license regime For the first tim
since 1892, the Worcester voters a
the December municipal elections
decided by a vote Of l0,5S4 to 9,62
to close It's saloons. When this de
eision takes effect on Thursday nigh
the licenses OF Us places, includin
seventeen hotels. will be rendere,
void. At the same time, a Gordon o
towns around Worcester, have gon
no license, and greater portion
of the district will be dry" afte
April 30
The second largest OF the Massachu
setts cities to enter upon period of II
license this year is Lynn, which show
ed It's opposition TO the saloon for tn
first time In 10 years, by a majority c
1865 II was generally believed tha
| licenses would be granted TO expires
companies 70 bring liquor from Bostol
the nearest license city, and 400 appl
cations for that form Of license WEI
filed promptly at city hall The alder
men, however, have voted to grant n
express licenses this year The saloor
OF the city have paid annually $685.
in license fees
Haverhill, another shoe making cit
this year turns against the saloon f
the first time since 1897. by n majorit
of s73, leaving the cities OF Lawrenc
and Gloucester. and the little town
Middleton the only licensed places
Essex county In Wow Of loss Of SAG
O3l In revenue from licenses, May
Roswell L. WooG, of HaverhilS h;
sought permission OF the state leglsl
ture to increase the tax rate by 80 p'
thousand
The NO" vote throughout the stat
as shown by returns from all but fo'
towns, had a majority at the rece,
elections of ls,oS5 B year ago, accor'
ing TO the Massachusetts, total abstil
ence society, there was Yes" mi
jority of SEE, making the year's n
gain for no license 24,s07 Two citi
and 10 towns changed to license viii
four cities and % towns changed to !
license.
The leaders of the various tempe
snce societies are now actively engal
ed in an attempt TO carry state legisl
ton whereby all the license revenl
shall go directly to the state trea
ury The present law, granting thre
fourths of the license fees to the citi
and towns concerned Is held to be II
fair and unconstitutional, and ella
legislation, in that It grants lar
state funds to one class of cities Al
towns The matter Of revenue is al
held to have undue influence upon
city's vote IN deciding the strict
moral issue OF whether or not liqu
shall be sold
1t Is estimated that about 5000 m
were employed In the places which W
have to close for the ensuing year.