New-York tribune., 1909-04-07
BROUGH BILL HEARING
PUT OFF ANOTHER WEEh.
Bishop Greer Opposed to Sunday
Liqu0r SeIFng-His Tie1cs.

The hearing the BrOugh bill, Gra1teu oS t"o
Committee of Fourteen to do away with Ralnes
law hotels the chief feature Of which is the legal
/ opening of saloons on Sunday from to II p. h.'
has been put off for another week. II was 10
have been held to-day before the Senate Coilini'leo
on Taxation and Retrenchment, but has been post
! poned untn next Tuesday or Wednesday, accoro'hS
to the convenience of the members Of the COMMIT
tee OF Fourteen and the civic organizations WHICH
will appear in favor Of the bill
This nostponement probably will mean that q
large delegation will to Albany from TINS city
including a number Of clergymen. While II mas
been said that II is purposed to bury the Dill IN
committee those in favor Of it are determined 10
force the bill be reported to the house and SUD-
mitted TO a vote. Senator Raines Will propaoN op-
pose this tooth and nail, but the members OF me
committee believe that the sentiment in favor OF
the bill s strong enough force 10 be reported
TO both houses.
As a whole it would appear that those clergy
men and workers who most closely III con-
tact with the class which the bill seeks 10 beneht
are in favor of the bill 1t already has been IN
dorsad by various civic and political organizations
AT the regular meeting Of the Association Oh Nels"-
borhood Workers yesterday the bill was lnuorsou
without a dissenting vote. 1t was the oPIlIo' u
nearly all present that the bill was distinct step
toward eliminating disorderly houses masQuerad-
ing as hotels and toward general Improvements
conditions. The few members OF the associa'loA
who were not in favor of all the provisions OF 'e
bill were not strongly enough against 1t TO give an
voting on the question
ENFORCE PRESENT LAW, HE SAYS.
T,isbon Greer said when seen Yesterday, that he
was opposed to the B-ough bill He faNoreo
,igoroUs enforcement OF the present law until such
time as the community might be ready 1ol looat
option. When asked if ne thought that the present
abuses could be stopped without any further regis
latlon. he said that they might be- puI IHa'
strong public sentiment would be necessary Never
rbeIess he thought that several useful amend
roarte could be made 10 the present law such as
compelling the Raines law hotels 10 have twenty
five rooms or more instead Of ten Inc blshop sa'u
also in discussing the BrouSh DILL
..-ba,a are some good features. and there are
some that are not Il Is not question between
right and wrong. in which all me rlSht = o' w
side and all the wrong on the other. ~ IL -
eic+ between right and right, and that as Hesel
s.,,s is what makes the tragedy Of life But IN
this case the larger right in opinion favors the
closed Sunday saloon
~ have in mind thousands Of men and boys
many of whom know. who are too manly TO sneak
into saloon by side or back door. but TO Who'li
The legally open front door on Sunday would De a
snare and temptation. I am interested IN the
orderly observance Of Sunday, and when say lT''s
: DO not mean merely religious Observance Sunday
* the dav Of the home or family. when mehpers
of tho household, who are necessarily more or less
separated and scattered during the week may he
do,nes-IcsIlv united The home Is the unit OF our
civilization
PREFERENCE FOR LOCAL OPTION.
NV preference. at all events would be for local
option and this bill. II passed, would postpone the
sdnDrion Of such a measure. am therefore, IN
fs,or until local option is adopted. Of strong and
vigorous movement on tho part Of aw-aoiding ana
,,hIc-sprited citizens to enforce tho present law
Risbon Greer did not think that there would be
any less drunkenness II the saloons were ope" 'i'
Sunday.
7be Rev Tr William NJ Grosvenor rector Of the
Church Of the Incarnation, IS not anxious 10 see
the saloons open Sunday. but he realizes tt7
,,.is # the pre~ent side door and back room sys-
Ten, and would Ike - see some effective method
in force which would do away with the present
harmful conditions He does not know or any net
Ter scheme than that proposed IN the BFonsh o''
hlrr thinks that it should be modlnfd. Ut "r0s-
yeror suggests that II the saloons are to he open
on SUNDAY The open period should he limited to
rho hours between and ! He expressed the fol
loving views
AN questions Of excise manifestly very difh-
ct,lt No law is perfect and no one solution Is so
much better than another that It's advocates can
claim that il will solve the problem. nor that the
advocates OF the other plan are narroW-minded or
wrong We say this because it is the fashion 10
infer that the clergy are narrow minded bigots
because they are against Sunday opening.
There a re many things about the bill Of the Com
r7itt4e Of Fourteen which are excellent and ought
to be on the book for Il promises correc-
ton of many Of the side door and back evils.
and will probably reduce graft But the question
Of Sunday opening is very serious and IS matter
which concerns our national character. From that
standpoint We must yeld just little as pos
sible, and I certainly would not yield more hours
than granted in London But. even so, have
good authority for saying that the opening has
worked well in London and l fancy that things
would be quite quite as bad bad Tith US: -.,--,
TO grant and will satisfy the respectable peonla
VINO wish TO purchase liquor. More than that would
be a concession 10 many mer who have been no
torious law breakers and who would not hesitate to
engthen the time long after u o'clock II they found
it paid 1870. -,- . !
over the country. The great masses Of the people
from time to time become tired Of the tyranny OF
We are in of those periods OF protest and
reform. and II is very inauspicious time for New
York to yied much II the bill OF the Com
mittee Of Fourteen would reduce the time to two
or three hours, say from o'clock to o'clock In
the afternoon. ! might give hesitating consent.
because then II would be decided Improvement on
the present law"
FATHER CURRY OPPOSED
Father James B. Curry. pastor OF ST James's
Church. in James street. said that he opposed the
bill because il would break down the last sembance
of decency regards the Sabbath in the tenement
house districts
The Rev. DR.. Henry A. Brann rector OF St
Agnes's Church, in East 43d street. of much
the same opinion. He agreed, too. with Father
Curry, that the back room evil that must
be overcome soon possible, a move without
which excise legislation would not accomplish
much.
Il against yielding any part OF the Sabbath
TO the saloons, or any other law breakers" DR..
Brann said. There Is no reason why the saloon
should be open Sunday. Law abiding citizens
do not want IT open. A man who cannot curb his
thirst for single day is lax in his of civic
enter saloon surTeptitiously and there thou
sands of men who viii not do this whereas If the
saloon wide open with the sanction of the
state. they would feel no shame in drinking at the