Five Mile Beach weekly journal., 1908-12-18
JERSEY LIQUOR
EXCISE BOARD REPORTS
TO GOVERNOR FORT
Recommends Local Excise Boards for Each City, Borough
or Town. Claim That Most Saloons are Controlled
by the Brewers, and That There are En-
tirely too Many of Them
To His Excellency John Franklin Fort.

To His Excellency John Franklin Fort,
Governor of the State of New Jersey:
The commission appointed by the
governor of the state under a joint
resolution of the senate and the house
of assembly of the state of New Jer-
sey to investigate the whole subject of
the excise question in the state report
in part as follows:
Summary of General Conditions.
In the larger cities, having a cos
mopolitan population, most excursion
places, summer resorts and places To-
Gated ON the Atlantic ocean there are
snany violations and evasions of the
excise law, particularly in regard to
the selling of liquor on Sunday. Many
of the officials of these places charged
with the enforcement of the excise law
connive at evasions and permit viola
lions.
Political Influence. :
Political influence is one of IL not
the most troublesome factor in the
solution of the liquor problem. If this
liquor problem is to be solved 1t must
be divorced from politics as far as
possible.
Brewery Control.
The control of the brewery over the
saloon is an important matter to take
into consideration. 1t is estimated that
from 70 per cen to 80 per cent of the
saloons are controlled by the various
brewers.
HnA 0nr,1 NJ fcCiAr ~ ~ nR tho nnfn-
ion that some provision should be
made whereby the brewers or any one
else directly or indirectly interested in
any saloon should be held Jointly re-
sponsible with the proprietor of that
saloon If the said saloon is ruiz IN
trary to the laws of the state.
Clubs.
+. Selling or disposing of liquor in
clubs and voluntary associations with
out licenses. The penalty for violation
should be the same as for other cases
of selling or dealing in liquors without
a license.
Drug Stores.
The inquiry of the commission has
developed the fact that there are more
drug stores than are necessary to meet
the legitimate requirements of the
people; also that there are drug stores
in many places that are selling liquor
and wines to be drunk on the premises
MS a beverage contrary to law; also
selling certain patent medicines and
mixtures and even alcohol to be used
as a beverage. The laws and regula-
tons should be very strict. limiting the
sale of intoxicating liquors to medic
inal purposes only.
Purity of Liquor.
A provision should be Incorporated
In the law regulating the liquor traffic
that all distilled or brewed liquors
should conform to the standard of
purity for liquors fixed by the United
States pharmacopoeia and the pure
food laws of the United States and
the state of New Jersey. Selling of in
ferior liquor should be a misdemeanor.
Inspection of peer bottling establish
ments is also recommended.
Local Option.
The commission feel convinced that
&c lOii5 dS llQuOlS dIt MANUFACTURED
and allowed to come into the state
liquor will be sold and drunk, license
or no license. The commission rec
ommends that a local excise board
should be elected in every community.
with ample power to grant and refuse
licenses and to control and regulate
the sale of intoxicating liquor.
Sunday Selling, Etc.
The preponderance of evidence was
strongly in favor of the provisions of
the present laws prohibiting the sale
of liquor at any time ON the Lords
day.
Too Many Saloons.
The number of licensed places
throughout the state is greatly in ex-
cess of the public necessities. A num-
Der of them are low dives, disreputa-
BILE and disorderly places.
The money derived from liquor Ii
censes is used for the general pur-
poses of the municipality and for the
reduction of taxes, making in many
instances an incentive to the authori-
ties to grant more licenses thar are
conducive to the public good. This
tempts the holders of these licenses
to run the risk of doing an illegiti-
mate business during prohibited
times in order to secure a living.
The commission recommends as fol
lows:
Local Boards Recommended.
NJ, .o..I .o.s1s.. - 49,. IL -