Vilas County news. [volume] (Eagle River, Vilas County, Wis.) 1896-1927, 1909-04-28
BREWERS PROPOSE
EXCISE REFORM
WOULD PLACE POWER TO RE-
WOKE LICENSES WITH
STATE BOARD.
TAKES ALL AUTHORITY UPON
SUBJECT FROM CONTROL OF
LOCAL OFFICIALS.
Madison, April 81

1hdQlSO4, APP II
In fulfillment of their announced
desire to stand for legislation which
would elevate the saloon business,
brewers of the state, through their
legislative representative, w. H. Aus
tin, yesterday afternoon, presented to
the assembly committee on state af-
fairs substitute bill for the Schmidt
bill, which was introduced at the be-
hest of the Wisconsin Retail Liquor
Dealers association.
The substitute provides for state
wide system of revoking licenses of
saloonkeepers found guilty of various
offenses enumerated in existing laws
or of conducting disorderly places.
The bill provides for the appointment
by the governor of a state board of
revocation of licenses to consist of
five members, none of whom shall
hold any other official position, at a
salary of $500 or $4,000 each per
year.
The board is vested with authority
to issue subpoenaes, hear complaints
and is given judicial power to impose
fines or revoke or suspend licenses.
Every alleged violation of excise laws
will be reviewed by the board instead
of by local authorities.
Offenses made punishable by revo-
cation of licenses are the same as
those embraced in existing laws and
include the following:
Conducting a disorderly place, per-
hitting gambling in saloon, selling
liquor to minors, permitting girls to
enter places, or refusal to obey any
rule or order promulgated by local
authorities to restrict the conduct OF
the saloon business.
Punishment for every offense ranges
from the imposing of fine to the re-
vocation of the license.
Peter Barth and Secretary Fitz-
gibbons and Fred Miner, represent
atives of the Retail Liquor Dealers
association, appeared before the COM
mittee in behalf of the Schmidt bill,
which codifies all existing laws relat-
ing to revocation of licenses and
which they claimed was reform
measure.
]. F. Baker and U. G. Humphrey OF
the anti-saloon league, objected to
the passage of the Schmidt bill, con-
tending it would remove from the
statutes laws upon which the supreme
court had already rendered decisions
and that in reality it would be step
backward.
Speaking upon the measure pro-
posed by the brewers, Mr.. Humphrey
declared that the anti-saloon league
would oppose the bill. He said that
the plain purpose was to delay tenn
perance legislation by referring the
matter of investigation to commits
sion. He also declared that the sa-
loon advocates who fought county op-
ton because it took away from the
people the boon of local self govern
ment. had now come forward to re-
move the control of saloon licenses
from the local government and place
it in a state board.
W. H. Austin, speaking for the pro
posed measure, said: THE power OF
revocation should be entirely removed
from the influence of local politics.
If that is done, there will be no in
centive for the liquor interest to par
ticipate therein. They apply for
their license to the local authorities,
it is granted if they are reputable
men, If they disobey the law no ac-
tivity on their part in the local cam
paign will shield them. To bring
about this end a bill has been pre-
pared for the appointment of non
partisan board on license revocations,
to consist of five members selected
for terms of two. four, six, eight and
ten years. with power and authority
to hear all complaints of violations OF
the excise laws, with discretion to
punish, if a first offense, by repri-
mand, suspension of license or re-
vocation, for second offense by sus-
pension of license and revocation, and
for a third OffenSe, revocation only.
Licensee when license has been re-
yoked, cannot again be relicensed for
at least a year. This board is also
to make careful investigation into ex-
else laws and conditions of other
states and countries and make re-
port from time to time the results
thereof to the governor, together with
any recommendations they deem adj
visable for the better regulation of the
retail traffic in this state. Two per
cent. of all license moneys collected
in each town, city or village is to be
paid into the state treasury to con-
stitute a fund for the support OF this
board and the expenses of its work.
We believe with a good commission
appointed, the good that will be ac-
complished cannot be estimated. 1t
certainly will remove from the liquor
interests all incentive to mix in poll
tics so long as their existence is not
threatened by prohibitive measures.
and will afford an efficient process for
cleaning up
Other bills considered during the