Los Angeles herald., 1909-05-18
POLICE AUTHORITIES
OWN SALOON LICENSE
PERMIT FOUND TO BELONG TO
MAN LONG DEAD
Citation Into Court of Supposed Pro-
prietor Reveals Death of Person
to Whom Privilege Was
Granted

AS the result of citing a dead man to
appear before it and show cause why
the permit, issued to him many years
ago, should not be revoked, the police
commission, for the first time in many
years, has one of those precious 200
retail saloon licenses to dispose of. 1t
secured the license by refusing Barasa
& Aidel a permit to continue the con-
duct of the saloon they have been oper-
ating at $40 San Fernando street.
This incident is one illustrating the
conglomerate mess into which the
liquor business has fallen in Los An
geles. Amati & MaZzoni, who were
shown by the records to conduct a
restaurant on San Fernando street,
We're cited to appear before the police
commission last week to show cause
why their permit should not be revoked
for violation of the liquor ordinances.
Instead of Amati & Mazzoni showing
up, Barasa & Aidel appeared and said
they conducted the place and had done
so for some time. The commission i'm
mediately revoked the permit held by
Amati & Mazzoni on the ground that
the permit was a personal privilege and
Amati & Mazzoni had ceased to use it..
1t incidentally developed that Barasa &
Aidel were also conducting a saloon
adjoining the restaurant and that the
under which the saloon was operated
was P. Mueller. When this was shown,
Barasa & Aidel were ordered to close
their saloon Immediately and apply for
permit under their own name.
Mueller was cited to appear and show
cause why the permit he held should
not be revoked. But Mueller has been
dead for eight years, and his ghost
refused to walk to the meeting of the
commission last night.
License Is Refused
Barasa & Aidel made their applica-
tion in due form and Barasa was put
under a gruelling cross examination
| by the members of the police commits
sion. During this examination, Barasa,
who was very frank and open in his
replies to the commissioners ques-
tions. admitted he leased the premises
where he conducted his saloon from
! the Maier Brewing company and paid
$125 a month rent. He declared the
| building was not worth $125 alone and
that the rent was excessive. He also
said he paid $S barrel for beer, all of
which he bought of the Maier brewery.
| 1t was held this was in excess of the
! regular market price for beer by the
barrel and the commission came to the
conclusion that the excessive rent and
charge for beer were the brewery S
1 1dkeOII IOI IIle llCelSe, WllCii BdTdSd
admitted the brewery held under the
lease.
AS blow at breweries holding IL
censes, the commission refused to
grant the application of Barasa &
| Aidel and now possess a retail license
for someone. The commissioners will
be very careful who gets this license
and may put it up at auction as two
other licenses have been sold in the
past.
The commission granted a retail per-
nit to Lieber Brothers, 200 North San
Pedro street. This permit had been
held by Louis Lieber, brother of the
applicant. but he died recently Under
the ruling of the city attorney the
death annulled the permit. Under the
old rules this would have been a trans
fer of permit.