The Spokane press. [volume] (Spokane, Wash.) 1902-1939, 1908-01-22
GOOD ENOUGH
SAYS COUNCIL
REFUSES TO CHANGE SUNDAY
CLOSING LAW OR TACK ON
NEW SALOON LICENSE RE-
STRlCTION.

| NEW SALOON LICENSE RE-
STRiCTION.
Every attempt to alter present
saloon regulations by the council
in committee of the whole last
night was practically knocked out
by postponement. Councilman
Estep, who since he announced
some time ago that he had lost in
terest in Spokane and was going to
move to Oregon has advocated rad
ical reforms, was sharply criticised
by other councilmen. Mr.. Estep's
pet measure was one which would
repeal the present Sunday closing
law and invoke in it's stead one
which provided for the closing OF
saloons only on Sunday. Council.
man Laumer led the opposition by
stating that the city ordinance diff
fers in no way from the state law,
and if the city ordinance referred
only to saloons, then there was the
state law under which anyone
might proceed. Estep said the pur-
pose Of his measure was to prevent
fanatics from bothering city of
licials. If they wanted to invoke
the Sunday law let them go to
county officials, he said. Mr.. Estep
got little encouragement when the
question was put to a vote. The
five democrats, Brown, Funk, Bald
win, Gray, Laumer, voted against
it, as did also Councilman Lam
bert The motion to report the Or
dinance out for passage by the
regular meeting of the council lost
by vote of six to four.
Mr.. Esteps visions of saloon re-
striction also vanished during the
evenings session. Although he
does not intend to remain long in
| spokane, he explained that he is
particularly DESTROYS that during
his short stay he accomplish some
good toward lettering the morals
of the community. Therefore, he
| desired that the number of saloons
be limited to PIG until the popula-
ton reaches 216,000, and thereafter
one saloon for each 1000 popula-
ton. julius Galland, who. as Fred
Schade arose to explain, would
benefit by Estep's measure, coach
ed Mr.. Estep with some figures as
to how many saloons were in the
city and how many applications
were pending. and his over anxiety
in the matter had much to do with
the defeat of tne measure. The
Gallands are said to control 165
out of the 221 licenses now issued
Councilman Baldwin stated that
were the measure to be passed, ii
would be giving certain people life
franchises to run saloons, and that
licenses would go to premium and
be of considerable speculative
value. Estep then strayed from his
point and said that that matter
could be looked after in future and
| If necessary saloon licenses could
be set at $4,000 instead of $1,000
Fred Schade, at this juncture made
a lengthy talk in which he said the
| measure would stife competition
and force the Schade Co. out OF
business. He referred to million
aire" brewers who would practical
| ly have a monopoly of the saloon
business. julius Galland, to whom
Schade referred, took it up and re-
torted that Mr.. Schade should not
have intimated that Mr.. Estep was
working in the interests of the
/ oirnc CohnIn
piled in some heat that this ques
ton was a matter for settlement
between himself and Galland on
the outside. At last reports there
had been no conflict other than the
little tilt in the committee.
| Councilman Pratt then moved an
amendment prohibiting one man
from owning more than one IL
cense. The amendment was pass
| ed and attached to the measure.
r. l.. Collins, of the Northwest
ern Improvement club, made ta!k
about rum-devils, and wanted tc
| know of the council if it were leg
islating for the saloon men or the
people. No one informed him.
The measure was finally put tC
a vote and lost on tie, Councilmer
Pratt, Phillips, Estep, Dalke ant
Laumer voting in favor of it ant
Baldwin, Brown, Gray, Funk ant
Lambert against. 1t was notice
able all during the evening tina
Councilman Laumer voted with thu
republicans, and Lambert, repub
lican, voted with the democrats.
The measure reorganiZing the II
cCnses ordinances into one larg'
| ordinance uaS also voted down N,