The Wenatchee daily world. [volume] (Wenatchee, Wash.) 1905-1971, 1909-09-08
City Council Listened to Arguments of
Saloon Men Last Night But Voted to-
Put Them Out of Business---Council
Is Again Laboring With the Problem
Of City Water

The city council has decreed tnat
all saloons in the city of Wenatchee
shall go out Of business on Friday
night at midnight, September 10.
This conclusion was reached last
night at meeting of the city council
at which the saloon men now Oper-
ating places in this city were invited
to be present and show cause why
their licenses should not be revoked
at will. S. d. Griffith, representing
]. NJ. Duffy, appeared before the cOun-
Gil and in a lengthy ana exhaustive
argument sought to show the coun-
ell that it was its duty to allow his
client to run until the expiration of
his license on September 81. w. t.
Rarey also, in a short speech, asked
that he be allowed to continue until
the expiration of his license on Sep
tember II. c. A. Bower, the third
man who is operating in this city and
whose license expires on the 10th,
was not represented. The gist Of the
argument of Attorney Griffith was to
the effect that the new primary law
provides that 90 days be given the
saloon men after the date of the To-
cal option election in which to dis
pose of their stock. City Attorney
Crollard was in Seattle and was un-
able to be present at the meeting
last night but Attorney Fred Reeves
represented Mr.. Crollard and he
briefly stated his view of the law in
the matter. He did not attempt to
make any argument to the council on
the matter, but simply gave his view
of the law. 1t was to the effect that
the local option law did not repeal
the old law, which gives the council
discretionary power in revoking IL
censes
After the arguments Councilman
Thomas moved that all licenses be
revoked at midnight September 10,
and that 80 per cent of the unearned
portions of the licenses be refunded.
This motion was seconded by Coun-
Gilman Ross, who explained his vote
by stating that in the spring he voted
against summarily revoking the sa-
loon licenses, believing it would be
hetter that the city as a whole vote
on this matter, have it settled by
September ! and that all saloons
should go out of business at that
time. On the vote being taken on
this motion the councilmen were ur-
animous in favor of closing the SD
looms September 10.
The city council is up against an
other matter which is causing the
members considerable uneasiness.
The city health officer has ordered
the reservoirs southwest of town be
closed for ater supply and cleaned
out, believing that the water in the
reservoir is polluted and is unfit fer
city use. In view Of the fact tha.
the large pump in the new station is
ont of commission and that large
portion of the city water supply has
to come from the high line ditch, it
was deemed by the council last night
to be impractical to attempt to clean
out the reservoir at this time The
water commissioner stated that 1t
would take fully two weeks to clean
out this reservoir thoroughly and the
members of the council thought it
would be not wise to deprive the city
of the fire protection afforded by this
water supply at this time. Later on,
when the new pump is again in COM
mission the councilmen are unani-
nous in favor of entirely cleaning out
this reservoir and again put it on a
sanitary basis.
! The city health officer is an auto
crat under the new law and this
gives him the right to condemn the
reservoir or any other water supply.
The defects may be ordered remedied
BY the officer and the expense bill
CONTINUED from Page ~