Vernon County censor. [volume] (Viroqua, Wis.) 1865-1955, 1908-05-27
SENATOR BARKER OF SPARTA
HAS TWO IMPORTANT sA-
LOON BILLS.
WOULD RAISE LICENSE FEE TO
$1,000 AND GIVE PART
TO THE COUNTY.
ALSO PROPOSES EXTENSION OF
PROHIBITION TERRITORY
AROUND UNIVERSITY.
Madison Nav Of

Senator H. w. Barker, representing
the S1st senatorial district cornpris.
ing Jackson, Monroe and Juneau coun-
ties in the upper branch of the legis-
iature, viii make a fight in the next
session to secure the enactment of
TWO laws, to provide a system Of
county option on the saloon question
and to establish Z minimum license
fee OF $1,000 in this state. Senator
Barker was in Madison a few DAYS
this week
The county option bill will be
drawn closely along the lines of The
Illinois law, by the use of which the
people of that state have this spring
voted thousands Of saloons out of
existence. 1t viii enable the voters
OF county to vote as a county upon
the question OF whether or not sa-
looms shall be licensed any place
within that county. Senator Barker
takes the position that the saloons
cause a great many of the largest ex.
pcuses that the county has to bear,
connected with criminal courts jails,
almshouses, asylums and systems OF
maintenance of poor people, and he
thinks that the county and not simply
the town or city ought to have the
right to vote on the saloons for the
whole county.
Senator Barkers other bill Is a
larger and fully as important a one
as the county option proposal. It
would provide that no saloon shall be
licensed in this state except upon the
payment of license fee of $1,000.
An important provision is that $3.50
OF this license fee shall be paid irto
the county treasury. AT present the
entire license fee goes to the town or
city granting the license and the
county gets no part of the money s.
raised. Senator Barker, in this cog
nection also, declares that the count
pays the large bills OF expenses eE.
tailed by the saloons and that thG
county treasury ought to have the
benefit of at least % per cent of the
money paid by the saloons for their
existence. He points to the city of
Madison as an example of the pres
ent unjust system of distribution of
saloon license money. There are So
saloons here, each paying $500 year,
amounting to $4,000 n year. All
this money goes into the city treas
ury and not a cent into the county
treasury, but the city is put TO prac.
| tically no expense on account of the
saloone, while the county is assessed
| for maintenance of poor, maintenance
of the criminal courts, poorhouse and
asylum. Senator Barker has deter
mined upon this provision. to give
the counties 25 per cent. of the H.
cense money, because he believes 1t
to be emlnently fair and that 1t will
appeal to practically every taxpayer
OF the state. except perhaps some OF
| those who live In the larger cities
where saloons are numerous and the
city gets a great advantage over the
county from the license money.
Another provision in the $1,000 H.
cense bill will be to increase the pro-
hibition territory surrounding the
state university and the several
normal schools. He would provide
that no saloon be allowed to operate
within $500 feet of the front door Of
the main building Of the university
or within the same distance Of any
state normal school. The last legis-
lature extended the prohibition dis
trict with respect TO the university.
but Senator Barker believes that a
further extension should be made.
1t Is believed that these two bills
will cause the greatest fight to be
waged during the next session of the
legislature. The sentiment of the
anti-saloon people is aroused by the
facility with which the voters of ILL.,
nois have voted saloons away through
the county option law, and are de-
termined to have such a law in Wis
consin. The $1,000 license bill Of
Senator Barker, with its provision to
turn part of the revenue into the
county treasury, viii doubtless re-
ceive much support On the other
hand il is known that the brewery in
terests are not unmindful of the dan
ger that threatens and are already
taking steps to ascertain which can
didates for the legislature 1t is to
their advantage to support
Her Apology