The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1908-11-21
LICENSES AND SALOONS.

We think that the license committee
OF the City Council in it's hearings on
the saloon license question is getting
valuable information, and if it acts
effect important reforms in the saloon
business in this city.
First Of alb the proposed abolition of
the quarterly payment of licenses and
the requirement that saloon licenses
shall be given by the year and not
otherwise on the full payment Of the
years license, and without transfer or
rebate, will undoubtedly effect very
great reform. II in connection with
this the person applying for license
should be required to show that be is
getting it for himself, that he is a
citizen of the United States, that he
owns the fixtures by means OF which he
VIII conduct his business, and that he
has not been connected with any up-
lawful business and is person who
can be trusted TO keep his contract with
tho city, maintain an orderly house,
and respond to the demands of the laws
and ordinances, then a substantial foun-
dation will have been laid upon which
the Council can base confident trust
that the license is well bestowed, and
u heavy blow will bo struck at the
nuisance Of the too.much brewery
owned saloon.
The selling of drinks or the doing
OF a saloon business by drug store,
rooming house, q restaurant, or club,
would necessarily imply, especially
where the United States special liquor
tax has been paid for the selling Of
liquor III such place, that it would be
entirely proper for the Council to exact
the payment of retail liquor dealers
license by those who conduct that
place. When the United States Gov
ernment exacts the retail liquor deal
er's tax, it seems entirely proper that
the city should also exact its tax. And
undoubtedly the enforcement of this
idea would lead to a considerable aug
menting of the city's revenues from the
liquor dealers, and it would also have
4 strong regulative effect upon that
business, The reputable houses or
clubs could well afford TO pay this Ii
cense rather than to allow under their
exemption the selling by alleged clubs
aud IN disreputsble resorts Of liquor
without the payment Of the license that
ii is quite proper for such places 10
pay. The public has had some illus
trations of this disreputable club saloon
business on Commercial street within
the past few months, There is no Iea-
son why a saloon should be run under
this cheap guise in defiance of the city's
regulations and 20 the disturbance of
the public peace and order
Tho further proposition involved in
these hearings, to the effect that per
sons who have had their licenses re-
voked by reason of their failure or re.
fusal TO comply with the law and the
ordinances, should not he granted an.
other license, and that places known as
disreputable resorts or disorderly houses
should be refused licenses in the future,
is clearly in the interest of reform, of
good regulation, and Of the public
peace.
In all these reforms we think that
the Council license committee and the
City Council itself will make no mis-
take III occupying advanced lines and
in adopting the reforms proposed
These reforms, effectually enforced,
Will do away with most of the OBJ
joctionable features of the saloon bust.
ness. and will unquestionably be sus-
tanned by the moral sentiment OF this
community. We commend, favorably,
the consideration of them to the COM
mittee, to the Council, and to the
Mayor. We have no doubt that these
are well-disposed TO the good order and
advanced sentiment of this community,
and that this good order and better
regulation will constitute a powerful
appeal TO the Council and to the Mayor
for the bctteTment of the local saloon
conditions.