Perth Amboy evening news. [volume] (Perth Amboy, N.J.) 1903-1959, 1908-08-26
EXCISE PROBE
HAD LITTLE ON
SOUTH AMBOY
Mayor Birmingham BsiSVs the
Investigators Said He Agreed
With Everybody.
.RICHTOF INVESTIGATORS
ASbuTy Park Lawyer Raises the
Question Booze at Ocean
Grove and AShury Park.
Special to the EVENING NEWS.

Special to the EVENING NEWS.
Asbury Park, Aug 26:-South
Amboy had her inning before the
State Excise Commissioner who end
ed their session here yesterday. Ac-
cording to Mayor Birmingham, of
that place, South Amboy is the finest
town in the United States. The com
missioners could get little satisfac-
ton out of him. He was probably
the most witty individual that has
been on the stand since the investi-
cations began.
The mayor said there we're absol-
utely no violations of the excise law,
but very few drunks and no Sunday
selling. He said that South Amboy
had twenty-eight so-called inns and
tay9rns, one wholesale place and five
bottling establishments; that the
population was 6,000-a saloon or q
bottling establishment for every 400
persons. If he had been given time
he would have had the excise COM
mission on the run. He said he had
four policemen, three on duty at
night and one during the day.
When asked II in mis- opinion there
were a sufficient number of saloons
In South Amboy, he replied: 81 don't
know, gentlemen. That's up to the
people. If the people say that they
haven't got enough booze in the
place, why, agree with them. If,
on the other hand, they say they have
too many saloons, agree with them.
If they say they don't want any liquor
sold, agree with them. If the Judge
OF Middlesex county refuses to grant
any licenses, why, still agree with
him. If he does grant any more IL
censes, why, I still agree with him.
South Amboy got off with q clear
bill Of health. The commissioners
had found nothing in the place in the
way of violations.
Red Bank "CIean as q Whistle"
\. Red Bank is one Of the largest
towns in Monmouth county, and the
commercial centre of a large agri-
cultural district, according to the
testimony OF Chief Of Police Henry
Lewis, was clean as a whistle, al
though the attorney to the commits
sion, Peter Bacltus, expressed his
doubts. It appears that Red Bank
'-ifas eleven hotels, six bottling places,
four wholesale places and three
drunks a week.
That prohibition does not prohibit
in Asbury Park and Ocean Grove,
where no liquor licenses are issued,
but where the thirsty may find
means of relief, was brought out at
the sitting. incidentally the power
of the body to sit and to summon
witnesses was questioned by s. A.
Patterson, counsel for a bother who
had been summoned to bring his
books to show the extent of his bus
mess. Mr.. Patterson raised the old
point that as the resolution provid-
ing for the creation of the commits
sion had never been adopted by the
assembly, although 1t went through
the senate, and as 1t does not appear
in the printed volumes of the pamph
let laws for 1908, the body has no
legal existence. He said his client
would take the stand, but would de-
cline to produce his books. The
commission took no action to bring
the question to focus, and 1t goes
Unanswered while the body proceeds
to do business as it has been doing.
George H. Thompson, president of
the local excise board which is
granting no licenses since the two or
three 1t granted last year had been
knocked out by decisions of the SUI
DI0luc tOuAlg JCpI4nCQ bndt thC DOctA
had done It's best to prevent illegal
sales OF liquor, but # got no aid
from the chief of police, who told
him the board had no authority to
make Investigations. They continued
to make their Investigations, how
ever, and caused many arrests.
Mr.. Thompson was sure condi-
tions in the resort had greatly i'm
proved" He was equally sure that
the public sentiment of the place is
favorable to licensed hotels. ut
could be no worse,' he said, IF we
had regularly licensed houses. AS
bury Park is not temperance town,
and never will be. 1t is our belief
that there are many places selling
this year" Mr.. Thompson told
Commissioner Backes in response to
questions that he believed the chief
of police had tipped places off to
prevent raids.
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