Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1908-01-01
IALL GEORGIA IS DRY
Dvery Saloon in the State Was
Closed On January 1
THE NEW LAW WILL BE OBEYED
Georgia Enters Prohibition Column
When January 1st Rings Its Bell
on Sale of Intoxicating Liquors
Law Very Drastic in It's Prohibi-
tion and Prevents Keeping or Civ
ing Away Of Liquors.

Atlanta, .Ga.,. Special.-With the
advent Of the new year the law pre-
venting the manufacture and sale Of
intoxicating liquor passed by the
last session of the Legislature be-
comes effective, making Georgia the
first of the Southern States to be
placed in the prohibition column.
The law is very drastic in its prohi-
bition and prevents the keeping or
giving away Of liquors in public
places and imposes a tax of $500
on clubs whose members are allowed
to keep drinks of an intoxicating ma
ture in their individual lockers.
To Test Legislation.
Notwithstanding the passage of
this Law there is some agitation to
have it declared unconstitutional, and
it is known that a prominent firm of
lawyers has been asked to test the
merits of the legislation. This action
may be brought in the United States
courts in the course of the next
month, and it is asserted will be
based on the fact that the constitu-
tion of Georgia cifcally provides
that all revenue from liquor license
shall be used for the school fund.
This matter has been under consid-
Grafton for some two months and has
been in the hands of the best con-
stitutional lawyers in Georgia. Sew
eral million dollars are involved in
a property loss in the State by the
operation of the prohibition law. II
is estimated that Atlanta alone would
lose in license taxes $135,G12 and
that the property value of saloons
and breweries here which will go out
Of, business on January 1st is from
81, 100000 to 81, 100000. For the
rest of the State the property values
involved are about $5,OOO,OOO. 1t is
estimated here that 10000 persons
are effected in the way of employ.
ment in the State and that Atlanta
alone has some 1,5O0 persons who
will lose their work when January
rings its bell on the sale of intox-
eating liquors.
Law Will Be Enforced.
That the prohibition law will be
enforced there is no question. This
is not the country Of the speak-easy,
and when the police have their laws
they enforce them to the limit.
Governor Smith and the city court
officials have been frank in their
statements that they intend to en-
force the law and that no fines
would be imposed for the illegal sale
of liquor, but that prison sentences
would follow the violation of any
part of the prohibition act. One pc
culiar feature of the law is that even
the incorporated clubs are allowed to
provide intoxicating drinks for their
members, either with or without
food. A man may have locker in
"a club and keep whatever he pleases
in this locker, but a club having
such lockers is subject to an excise
lax of $500 year. Another feature
of the law is that a man may not
even in his club invite a friend to-
join him in a drink. The only way
he can evade this is by leaving his.
locker open that an acquaintance
may have access. Several of The
clubs in Georgia have taken out
their excise tax license and are pro-
viding lockers in their rooms, but
many Of the more prominent have
declared that they will go one bet
Ter than the law and prohibit the
keeping of liquor within their doors.
Tax Rate May Increase.
The constitutional law of Georgl,
in its provision for school maintcn-
ance is very specific, according to one
Atlanta lawyer. The question now
arises where the funds for the main-
tenance of the public schools will
come from, and it is said that con-
siderale increase in the tax rate
may result.