The Mount Holly news. [volume] (Mount Holly, Burlington Co., N.J.) 1891-1942, 1908-08-18
burlington County Investigated.

Burlington County Investigated.
The State Excise Commission, appoint
] ed to investigate the sale of liquc
throughout the state, held a session 9
Trenton yesterday, and heard evidenc
about Burlington county.
Mayor Gabel, of Bordentown, said ther
are ten places in his city where liquor
sold The licenses are granted by an ez
else board.
! There have been violations of the law
he said. but they represented wheneve
detected. In one instance, licensee los
his license, but it was soon transferred t
another party. Complaints Of sales t.
minors have also been made, the Mayo
testified One saloon, the Mayor referred
to as 1.-THE best conducted In town, where
upon Mr.. Backes asked,
'Are the other places violating thu
law ?" The Mayor said Some are bette
than others" and specified the case of {
bow named Fenimore, whose mother com
planned that drink was sold to her SON.
The boy is her only son, 1t was said, and
she tried hard to keep him from the saloon
In question. The saloon keeper was ar.
rested, but the boy himself, the Mayor
said, was against his mother and declared
he had not bought drink as his parent
said, though the mother testified that she
had found him drunk in the saloon.
The saloon keeper was acquitted by a
jury, it was testified.
''Was this trial properly conducted or
was it farce2" asked Mr.. Backes
"Well, the jury acquitted him, but |
thought in my judgment 1t should be the
other way" said the Mayor.
If put to vote, the Mayor said, he
thought the town would go prohibition,
and especially would local option prevail.
''What would you do if you were su
nreme boss theref" asked Mr.. Backes.
"I'd help fill up the jail, was the reply,
as he said there are many hangers-on in
the community. ''They lay around all
day, drink and stir up fights" said the
Mayor.
Mr.. Rice asked why the saloon-keepers
who allowed this were not reported to the
town Excise Board.
Excise Board9" replied the Mayor,
''they see 1t all for themselves and do
nothing"
Mayor G. Taylor Rue, of Burlington.
testified that conditions in his town were
as elsewhere. There are twenty-one
licensed places, he said. granted by city
Excise Board appointed by the county
Judge. "Beer arks" cause much trouble,
he said, land we haYe some drunken
minors, also"
''There are not many violations" said
the Mayor. 1--WE only caught about
twenty five last year" These, he said.
were dealt with by the court. Local
option would not prevail In his city, he
said. and If put to vote 'the town would
go wet" Higher licenses, he testified,
would be more popular, however.
Chief of Police Joseph D. Shumard
of Burlington. testified 1--WE never had
much trouble" 1t was quite true, how
ever, he said, the county prosecutor had
directed many raids over his head, twenty
five such having been made last year, all
subsequently resulting in convictions or
pleas of guilty.
The chief said he had never been in any
OF the saloons to look for violations be-
ca,tse he had heen told not to-
Samuel P. Cline, of the Mount Holly
police committee, said there were too many
drinking places in his town. Some OF
them should be got rid of. but no move
ment in that direction has been made.
There is more drunkenness now than there
was many years ago when there were
fewer licensed places. There are no
open violations of the law in Mount
Holly.
Prosecutor Samuel A. Atkinson read a
statement giving his views of the situation
in the county.
He made several recommendations of
changes In the laws. The statement was
as follows:
AS a rule the proprietors of hotels in
Burlington county are a good class of
men. Most of them own the premises
they occupy. The cities of Burlington
and Bordentown have excise boards, which
grant licenses, but with these exceptions
and the city of Beverly, where council
grants the licenses. all licenses to sell in
toxicating liquors In the county are grant
ed by the judge of the Court of Common
Pleas.
The present county judge, as well as
his predecessor, have always strictly en-
Joined dealers to observe the law and
given general directions as to what con-
stitutes violation, stating that the pen
violated. Very few new licenses have
been granted in the county for the past
ten years, but many have been refused.
During my term as Prosecutor, since
April, 1900, there have been number of
prosecutions. An examination of the
records in the clerks Office shows that
there have been 1859 indictments during
that time for violation of liquor laws. In
all of these cases the accused parties
either pleaded guilty or were convicted
In addition to these indictments number
of persons have been arrested for these
offenses, waived indictment, appeared be-
fore the Court of Special Sessions and
entered a plea of guilty to the charges.
l have had little difficulty with the
Grand Juries In securing indictments. In
our county we punish violators of the
excise laws as we do violators of other
criminal statutes, and we make no dis
tinction In our procedure.
Nearly all of the violations of the excise
laws come from persons who has- no
license OF persons who have wholesale
licenses In this or adjoining counties. My
experience shows that large proportion
of the disorder and crime. which attends
the Incorporate use of Intoxicating
liquor, is associated with the liquor sold
by those holding wholesale licenses only
The peddliug of beer from wagons is one
of the most troublesome features OF the
liquor business at the present time. These
wagons, or beer arks. as they are termed,
are daily going around the country,
ostensibly delivering, but in many cases
selling directly to the consumer. 1t is
always difficult to get the necessary
evidence as the owner seldom goes with
the vehicle, and the driver is often man
who cannot even speak our language.
l think drastic legislation should be
enacted to prohibit the sale or delivery OF
intoxicants from wagons In villages and
agricultural communities These places
are necessarily withoutIprotection, such as
the police afford in cities, and drunken
brawls not infrequently accompanied by
assaults and other crimes, follow the
trail of the beer wagon.
In my opinion some changes in the laws,
In addition to the one suggested above,
would tend to the betterment OF condi-
lions, viz:
First-That simple method for the re
vocation of licenses should be enacted.
Cooon1 rrox;aion that anv conviction