Los Angeles herald., 1909-12-31
BREWERY TACTICS
CLOSE TO FINISH
SORRY MUDDLE FOUND AFTER
INVESTIGATION
MANY LICENSES SAID TO BE IN
DANGER
City Prosecutor Eddie Ready to Pro-
tect at Least One Retailer from
Raid by Wholesale
Men

With every stroke, as he digs deeper
into the retail liquor situation, John
Topham, police commissioner, finds
1t is in a worse muddle than he had
expected. Topham was appointed a
committee of the police commission TO
cooperate with f. b. Hahn, who has
told the commission how the breWerles
practically control the retail liquor bus
mess and the report Topham makes to
the new police commission is likely to
put fifty or sixty retail liquor permits
in jeopardy.
Commissioner Topham called the at
tention of the commission last Mon
day to the state of affairs at the b. d
o. saloon at Commercial and Alameda
streets. The license for this saloon Is
held under the name of o. w. Glaze,
who is traffic manager for the Mater
Brewing company. Nick Oswald. form
er king of the Tenderloin, owns this
saloon. Two Italians want to buy the
place and have the money in escrow
for rs purchase, but the Maier Brew
ing company demands $4,000 for the IL
cense alone and the Italians refuse to
pay this unjust amount.
Brewery Paid for License
Oswald paid the brewery $40 a month
for the use of the license until the re-
call election, when values of saloon
licenses seemed to have dropped, 1or
$50 a month is per cent interest on
$4,000. which was the usual value at
tached to licenses before the new po-
lice commission came into power.
The city attorney has held that
hermit for liquor selling is personal
privilege issued to the one who Is to
conduct the business and that, as soon
as the holder of the permit ceases TO
exercise the permission, his permit Is
void. Under this ruling, the breWerles
have no right to hold permits through
their agents, as they are not actually
conducting the business for which the
permit is granted. But the fact thal
only 200 of these retail permits can be
issued has made the possession OF one
a privilege much sought and the brew
cries have taken advantage of TINS
limit on the licenses to put cash
value on such as they have been able
to secure through their employees.
Had Regular System
The usual method of the breWerles
has been to obtain a permit for an
employe and have that employe sign
a blank transfer of license. Should
the employe prove unsatisfactory for
any reason and he be discharged, II
has been the custom for the license TO
he assigned by the brewery to some
other employe and the police commits
sion asked to confirm the TRANSFER al
though the commission was not IN
formed of the connection oil the Drew
cry in the transaction.
One of the most flagrant cases or
brewery tyranny that has come TO the
attention of Commissioner Topham Is
thai Of Pecetto q Damareis. who own
the saloon at 712 East First street.
While these two actually own the stock
and fixtures, which they have pur-
chased OF the Maier Brewing company,
the license is held in the name OF
Il. =. Roberts.
MI, Peceto went to Commissioner
Topham Yesterday and told him that
Roberts had gone to his place We'd
nesday with a contract for Pecetto 10
sign giving Roberts half interest IN
the saloon. Pecetto showed ComInls-
sioner Topham checks and papers 10
prove they have paid all Indebtedness
to the brewery, but he declares Rop-
erts has threatened to refuse them the
use of the license he holds and throw
them out of the saloon altogether un-
less the contract giving him half IN
terest is signed by New Years. AS
Commissioner Topham knows the cX-
act situation, Roberts attempts 20
frighten the two Italians probably VIII
have little effect and Mr.. Roberts prop
ably will be cited to appear before the
police commission and show cause why
his permit for this place should not
be revoked.
Fair Game Promised
Guy Eddie, city prosecutor already
has prepared the case for Pecetto q
Damareis. so that they can be as
sured of protection from the police
commission. While there is nothing
i'm the case that the courts can handle
the police commission has wide pow
ers in a case of this kind and can re
woke Roberts permit on the sole
ground that he is not conducting the
place himself, which comes under the
head Of improper conduct OF the pusl-
ness, in the terms of the charter.
Roberts appears to have gone as fan
as he could in his effort to force the
italians to sign the contract He has
secured a federal license for the place
il, spite of the fact that Pecetto x
Damareis have a federal permit ol
their own for this number
Pecetto & Damareis are not the only
ones this brewery is Threatening. Inc
Maier company is making an elIoIt u
STAMPEDE other saloon men into thell
fold and close up the holes through
which information might leak out tC
the police commission. But the com
mission has let it be known they are
in sympathy with the saloon men who
will fight the breweries, and those who
come out in the open and help the COM
mission in its plan TO clean up the sit
uation will receive far more consider
alton than those who allow themselves
to be "bluffed" by the breweries.
More Licenses on Slate
Another of the four licenses held by
II. p. Roberts is likely to be Cancelled
by the commission. At the last meet
ing of the commission Roberts was
cited TO appear Wednesday, January
5, and show cause why his permit
should not be revoked at 430 Central
avenue. There is no such number on
Central avenue and the saloon is con-
Quoted at No. 452. Roberts has no per-
nit at all for 452 Central avenue and
technically is selling liquor without a
permit. This place is not conducted by
Roberts, but the brewery hires a man
ager to look after the place.
The commission has known of these
and other similar cases, out has not
been able to get evidence that would
warrant it in reVoking licenses under
the careful provisions Of the city char
ter which permits revocation only for
Illegal, improper or disorderly conduct
of the business.
Brewery Tactics FoiIed
Not until f. B. Hahn was discharged
by the Maier brewery did the police
commission get tangible evidence.
Hahn was the holder of a permit at
was secured in his name while he was
n 1,rsat j