Coeur d'Alene evening press. (Coeur d'Alene, Idaho) 1907-1929, 1908-01-10
WILL ENFORCE
CLOSING LAW
Spike Telephones and Close all Bus
mess in Spokane

SPOKANE, Wash, Jan. 10.-"As
result of information collected
during the last two Sundays, togeth-
or with violations which may occur
next Sunday, District Manager
Charles Reynolds of the Pacific
states Telephone company and eight
Of the leading restaurant men are
seheduled for arrest for violating the
Sunday closing law" said a person
closely identified with the liquor
dealers association yesterday. Re
uuest has already been made for the
arrest of Manager Reynolds of the
telephone company and it is lead
pipe cinch that he and the restaur-
ant men will be taken into custody
for violating the law. 1t is also like
" that officials in authority in the
Spokane Traction company and the
Washington Water Power company
will be arrested for violating the
law
The man who gave the above in
formation insisted that the saloon
men would not be behind the move
ment, but that a property owner not
affiliated with saloons will be respon-
dble for the arrests. He asserted
that this property owner referred to
vas one of several who had asked a
WeIl-known law firm to take the mat
ter up for further prosecutions, but
that this man had offered to pay a
$3.50 attorneys fee from his own
pocket and had agreed to bear the
cost of all prosecutions.
The report yesterday was that en-
ployes of the telephone company and
other corporations would be arrested
at 1905 o'clock Sunday morning.
The person quoted above. however,
said that in the case of the telephone
company warrant would be for Man
ager Reynolds only.
In commenting further on the
problem, he said
1T is agreed by the saloon men
that they will do nothing further in
the matter beyond waiting for the
decision of the Sunday closing law
test case now waiting trial before
the state supreme court in April.
The saloon men refuse to try the in
itiative and referendum plan for de-
termining whether or not the people
Of this city want closed town. The
feeling among them is that the mu-
nicipal Sunday closing law will be
declared unconstitutional by the SUI
preme court and that the best way to
handle this matter is to have closed
town until the next election and at
that time let the people decide by
vote whether or not they want the
toVn to be closed.
Business men who have stepped
into the breach and who will close
the differen. important business in
terests of the city in the ratio of
their importance to the general pub
lie believe that the people at large
will speedily get enough of the
closed town proposition. Assurance
mas been given by the office of the
corporation counsel that the closing
law will be enforced, and that war
rants will be issued"
When the matter was brought to
The attention of Corporation Counsel
L. R. Hamblin yesterday he and Dep
uty Frank Allen were much interest
ed. Mr.. Hamblen said that the law
would be enforced. Mr.. Allen favor
ed waging the prosecutions and ask
ing that maximum fines be imposed.
In closing all the restaurants on
sunday it is believed by saloon men
mat the result will be a general pro-
est from citizens. However, it was
explained by the informant seen that
only about eight of the leading res
'Aarants would be taken into eusto-
ny Warrants will also be asked, In
all likelihood for six OF eight cigar
and confectionery proprietors. Small
'er dealers will not be interfered
WITH the contention being that such
Interference would work a severe
hardship on the smaller dealers.