Omaha daily bee., 1909-04-11
WORKING FORCES MUST BE CUT
Sixteen Hundred Saloons Average
Three Men Each.
OF THE BUSINESS
Brewers Have Ten Million Invested
in Their Plants.
RETAILERS ARE ALSO IN DEEP
Review of the Business In Nebraska
that VIII Practically Have 10
BE RearranEed 10 Meet
New Conditions.

Saloons in Nebraska, estimated, $500.
Investment in same, including license,
50, 100000.
saloon licenses issued in Omaha, a5l, in
oluding brewers and wholesalers. Invest
ment aside from license, 93T5,ooo.
Breweries in the state, ten; Investment,
$40, 100000.
People engaged about saloons, S,5ooi 20
be let out, 1900.
you voted for Shallenbergor, didn't
your" was the half inquiry and half asser-
ton directed at bald-headed bartender
by a person in a mcDd to have some fun
at the expense of back-bar chemist.
mo sir, did not; give you my word OF
hpnor on that. I'm from Missouri all right;
but the brains of the country is in the repub-
lican party, and the business Of the coun-
try trusts that party and no other. l vote
the straight republican ticket"
After the inquirer had caught his breath.
he said heartily: blessed n don't admire
your nerve. Most of these kickers claim
they voted for Shally just to get even with
Sheldon"
"well. I didn't" said the bald-headed
one, "for I always thought that Sheldon
was right in insisting that the Slocumb
law was the DesI OF It's hlIlu III IHe Onlltu
States, and II his advice had been taken
the Shallenberger shputers in this bust
ness wouldn't have been given such 4 kick
in the shin as they got At that, the only
kick have coming is that will probably
be thrown out of work and have TO go
somewhere else and hunt a job, in the
meantime leaving the family here until
! find one"
This is a grist of an actual conversation,
and the bartender hit off the thought that
is worrying many a man in his line In
Nebraska today. What TO do after the
first of July. next?'
Large Number of jobs vanish.
There are close to 1900 saloons in the
state. at this time. and the number WIS
not reduced by recent town elections. Each
of these places has an average of three
employees, even In Lincoln. where the day
light rule has been In force for a year.
SO it follows that 1900 to 1000 men, bar
tenders and porters, will be out of work
lust as soon as the new law becomes opera
tive. Many of these are married men. In
a great many Instances one bartender and
one porter will be let out. This will be true
whether the proprietor has been In the
habit of standing a watch" or not, be-
cause the hours from seven in the morning
to eight at night are not extreme for one
watch, with an hour or two off at noon,
Wages of bartenders averages $50 To SIS
a month, some getting more than $40 and
few, except in very small towns. getting
less than $50 Porters in the cities get Is
to s12 a week.
In Omaha there are score or more Of
outlying saloons that will be compelled TO
close, thriving all hands out of a job
These saloons have been enjoying quiet
morning trade, before Z, and more or
less steady trade after supper until closing
time. Their day trade will not be strong
enough to keep them running. Just how
many of these outlying places will close No
one is willing to estimate,
Law VIII Anect Omaha Most.
or the brewers and hotelmen's end Gott-
lieb Storz perhaps gave fair view when
he said: II not prepared to say that
the law will hurt the state; but do be
leve that II will hurt Omaha II puts our
citv in the peculiar position OF being a
metropolis without one of the commonest
Of a large city. Several of the
cafes and hotels of Omaha have invested
very large sums OF money, and their repu-
tation is widespread Under the operation
of the new law they are bound TO lose
on future possibilities, but here is a de-
preciation of earning power that no one
could foresee and the effect will be in
furious In the cases of men who have in
vested heavily with tho slocumb law In
mind.
AS TO the brewers, with their SlOOO0OOo
Investment, they can probably manage to
get along There are no saloons owned by
brewers any more, and II may be that the
case beer trade, supplying families, will
Increase; yet no one can say just how that
factor will develop"
Investmcnts In saloons.
Henry Keating, secretary of the Retail
Liquor Dealers association of Nebraska
Is authority for the statement that prob
ably thirty or more of the saloons in the
state represent an outlay Of $500 or better
The rest, he estimates, will average sl.ooo
for fixtures and equipment This would
make an investment of $,5O0,OOO at least
License money paid will foot up over an
other 81 5O0OOO. for I'm Lincoln and some
other places the license costs $3.50,
Where saloons are located in communi
ties depending on the surrounding farm
ing country, it is difficult to foretel the
outcome, but it Is considered doubtful n
they can pay $1,000 and live, when closed
at o'clock every night In the week Some
men who have given the subject study.
assert that the bottle and case trade Is
sure to show heavy increase in such
especially where the foreign
element is numerous. and the isolated
saloons may thus recoup themselves.
Breweries In Nebraska number ten. To-
Gated in Omaha, South Omaha, Fremont
Nebraska City and Wilber Be-
sides these, about all the large breweries
Of other cities have branches In the state
agents OF Milwaukee. ST. Paul.
St. Louis. Lacrosse, Chicago Kansas City
and St. Joseph breWeries
35I Licenses in This County.
In Omaha 25l licenses have been issued
to retailers wholesaler liquor dealers and
brewers. In South Omaha last year eighty
licenses Wero issued. The next time OF