The Montgomery advertiser., 1909-01-01
Saloons Under Ban.

Mobile, Dec. S1.-At 12 o'clock to- night the saloons of Alabama were placed under the ban and after that hour, 1t will be against the law to sell liquor within the confines of the com monwealth.
 Speculation is rife over the State as to how the liquor men are going to regard the law, but the general opin- ion Is that they will observe 1t to the letter in most of the cities and vil- lages. Soft drink establishments will In most cases take the places of the saloons. but 1t Is admitted there will be blind tiger or so. Already the iiuor qinterests are preparing to con- test the constitutionality of khe stat ute and the saloons of this and other cities have contributed to a fund to carry the fight into the highest courts of the land If necessary.
 The question in the minds of a great many people of the State Is how Ala bama is to fare when the revenue that Is derived from the liquor trafic Is cut of. The citizens of Mobile and Mobile County are especially interested in the answer to this problem as at present all the school funds for both County and city couue directly from the taxes levied upon the sale of intoxieants. =
 Information from the various chiefs of police and sheriffs throughout the State are that they are going to en- force the law to the letter.
 In 1907 the State derived a revenue of s223.oD0 from the liquor trafic. This year that sum was considerably re- duced when the barrooms in Birming- ham and several other places were closed The revenue for 1908 will. however, amount to s75,00o. The loss of this revenue Is regarded as a seri. ous one in some quarters and predic- tions are freely made that the State will suffer for lack of it.
 Mobile and Mobile county are peculiarly affected by the new law. The schools of both the city and coun- " are supported by the liquor tax, every cent of which goes to their main tenance. As the law stands now the schools of the county get about sso.- 900 annually from the saloons and those of the city about half that sum. With the dawning of the new years sun new condition will exist and the schools will have to discover some other source of revenue. An ap- propriation by the legislature of s50,- 900 for the schools of the county, will however. soften the effects Of ths blow.
 It Is estimated that about 800 saloons will be closed in the cities of Mobile. Montgomery. Selma and Annis- ton, the principal towns of the state not already dry. when the prohibition law goes into effect. An authority on the subject has figured that each place supports at least fifteen people, counting the owners and the employees and their families. Accepting the figures as correct it will be seen that 7,500 people will be directly affected by the closing law. to say nothing of the man who has been accustomed to getting his toddy whenever he desired.
 Governor B. B. Conner is doing lit- tie in regard to what action will be taken by the state authorities if the saloon interests continue to fight the law. This much is certain however. that he will call a special session of the Alabama Legislature to strengthen tho laws.
 'srhere has never been any doubt where I stand on this question. said the Governor. when discussing the prospect of an extra session. "The state has passed certain laws that are thought to be good and wholesome and 1t is my duty and will be carried out to see that they are enforced. if indeed 1t becomes necessary to take any action at all. I have said that things seemed to be shaping for an extra session"