Imperial Valley press., 1909-10-16
TIGHT AS 4 DRUM
 THE LID GOES ON City Trustees Amend Prohibit tion Ordinance, Making It
 Drastic Measure
Demand From Chamber of Commerce That Eagles Hall Association Close Its Bar, Met by the City Trustees Passing lroncIad Prohibition Amend ments to Ordinance No. 6.

0CHLS IO OTQIndnCe NO. 0.
 The question of enforcement of the no-license ordinance of the city of El Centro was threshed out pretty thoroughly last Monday night at the largest meeting ever held by the Chamber of Commerce, and by the decisive vote of "A to the City Trus- tees were requested to take the ne- cessary legal steps to close the illicit bar maintained in the Blackinton building The vote was taken by roll call and does not represent the full attendance, many members refrain ing from voting because of personal side issues that got tangled up in the debate
 The meeting was thoroughly repre- sentative of the citizenship of Fl Gen. tro and it's decision unmistakably voiced public opinion on the main question. The matter was brought before the meeting by Allen Kelly, who presented and moved the adop- tion of the following resolutions:
 Whereas Ordinance No. 6. of the City of Fl Centro, contains the fol- lowing provisions:
 Section l. Any person, firm or cor poration, club or association, who within the city of Fl Centro estab- fishes or keeps a place where spiri- tuouS, vinous, malt or mixed liuuors are sold, furnished, distributed or giv- en away in any quantity or who, with in the city of El Centro, either as owner. employe, agent or otherwise 1 sells any such liquors or intoXicat- ing drinks. except for the purposes herein specified shall be guilty of misdemeanor."
 Section 3. Every person who lets, 1 leases or rents any place to be used or permits the same to be used in vio- lation of this ordinance shall be deem- ed guilty of misdemeanor" Whereas: it is provided by the ordinance that the Board of Trustees shall notify the owners of places in which liquor is sold or distributed to abate the nuisance and it is made the duty of the City Marshal to seize and destroy liquors kept in such places if the owners refuse to abate the nuisance within five days after the service of notice; and
 Whereas: It is a matter of com mon knowledge that liquors are kept, sold and distributed by the Eagles Hall Association, under Federal li- cense issued in the name of such as sociation, in a building owned by J. c. Blackinton in this city; and
 Whereas; It is asserted by the persons engaged in the retail liquor traffic in Eagles Hall that Ordinance No 6, of the City of Fl Centro does not mean what it says and is void and of no effect as to the provisions above quoted; and
 Whereas: It is the opinion of the Chamber of Commerce of El Centro that the civic welfare of the commu- nifty requires that the meaning and force of Ordinance No. 6 shall be determined and the right of the Board of Trustees to prohibit or regulate the sales and distribution of intoX- icating drinks in accordance with the wishes of the citizens shall be clearly defined; therefore
 Resolved: That the Chamber of Commerce requests the Board of Trustees of the City of El Centro to enforce said ordinance by serving mo- tice upon the Eagles Hall Associa- tion to cease selling or distributing liuuor and to abate the nuisance in the Blackinton building, and, in case of failure or refusal of said associa- tion to comply with the notice, to in struct the City Marshal to proceed according to the terms of Ordinance No 6:
 Resolved: That the secretary be instructed to transmit this resolution to the Board of Trustees of the City of El Centro
 Speeches in favor of the proposed action were made by Dan Noland Phil D. Swing, A. D. Medhurst, Ira Aten, T. F. Force, John M. Eshleman Allen Kelly and others, and several speeches in opposition were made by M. w. Conkling, Paul Roman thought the chamber should not deal with the matter at all and he moved to lay the resolutions upon the table. The motion was defeated by vote of 2i
 to H. Debate on the main question
 took a wide range, involving th' meaning and effect of the ordinance the powers of the trustees and tn status of the association mentione Tn the resolutions, On final roll cal Trustee Pearson voted in favor o | tIo ,.ocoI,,tgo., .o.,. oe.tf,,o, tho hoo.