Waterbury evening Democrat., 1908-06-01
SALOON LICENSE HEARINGS.
New Haven Editor Does Not Like the
 Present Plan.

IL Is to be regretted that the coun- ty commissioners have not adopted a different policy than has prevailed for many years in the latitude they allow applicants for licenses in examining through counsel, those who appear in opposition. Thoughtful men and women hava for q long time felt keen ly the treatment received by protest ing witnesses, who for reasons of their own oppose the location of a saloon at given and specified place. More often they are forced to appear as indicted persons against whom q prima facie case has been entered on the ground of spite or ignorance. As rule the applicant is permitted to appear as the aggrieved party, the one person in the room at the hearing to be regarded as innocent of all ques- tionable conduct until proved guilty.
 The rules which should pertain are not at all complicated A certain man
 wishes to open saloon at a given corner or at convenient place in block of buildings, near a center of population. He conforms with the law as to advertising his claim, etc. If protest is entered a hearing is held at a stated time. Both parties are in attendance. The proceedings should be exceedingly simple from this out. The applicant is entitled to bring before the commissioners whatever evidence he has or can mus ter showing him to be fit person to sell liquor, beer and light wines. This done the protestants should be given every chance to show in their own way why in their judgment the peti- tioner Is either an improper person to be entrusted with license, or the site he has selected is an improper one. 1T the commissioners, who are the sole Judges of the application, have req son to suspect the existence of i'm proper influences at work it is for them to ask whatever questions are necessary to establish that fact. They should not give an attorney indefinite latitude in order that he may make earnest and well meaning people, who should not be put to the expense Of retaining a lawyer. appear ridicu- lous. This is too frequently done.
 At a hearing before the commits sioners recently protest was enter ed against certain application for a license on the ground that the To- cation was not suitable one, being near church and a religious in- stitution. The rector of the church was put through the paces in the form of a biting cross examination, as if by daring to testi- " against the issuance of the license ne was controlled by improper mo- tlyes. He was asked if he were not opposed to saloons wherever located, when his views upon that general subject had nothing to do with the inquiry at hand. He was present to protest against the particular H. cense under consideration for defi- mite and specific reasons. It was further intimated in question. which should have been promptly ruled out, that his oppostLh.n was in fact due the personal influc nee of an- other saloon keeper, who had inter- ested him in the application of business rival, rather than to a real objection on the part of the church society with which he was connected The entire examination was conduct ed In a spirit frequent enough ill the rooms of the county commissioners.
 put or unpardonablc prejudice. The county commissioners exist, under the circumstances stated, as much Tor the protection of respectable ciri
 zens as for the protection of an ap- piicant for saloon license.
 It is possible that there are diffi- culties in the way of the county com missioners revolutonizing the pre. vailing methods at a hearing. If there are then they should be re- moved at the earliest possible mo- ment. It is we'll to remember that eventually impressions Of this sort take on a shape which leads to ac. ton against things as they are con- stituted. It is conceivable that they might materially strengthen the sus- picion Of the usefulness of the coun- ty political organization, already more or less widespread. and in addi- ton lead to the enactment of laws restricting the number of saloons and tightening the conditions under which licenses may be issued. The matter is not one confined to the protestants alone. The cnLlmission- CTS and saloon keepers arc equally interested, though perhaps it is not yet clear to them.-New Haven Jour-