Norwich bulletin., 1909-07-29
PANIC ENTERS CAMP OF
 CONNECTICUT LIQUOR MEM
Governor Weeks About to Veto Bill Concerning Licensing of Saloons.
fspecial to The Bulletln.l )

Hartford, July 28.-Consternation has entered the camp of the liquor men with the news that Governor Weeks was about to veto the bill providing that when a saloon has been licensed in the past 1t may again be licensed after a town has gone no-license and then reverted to license, whether it is within 200 feet of a church or not, and a host of workers for the liquor cause has invaded the Hobbies of the capitol fin the effort to head off the effect of this veto and get the bill passed over it, it being known that nothing which could be said from their side of the matter would have any weight with the governor. The law providing that no new license should be issued when the place kept by the would be was passed at the last session of the general assembly and the fact of its existence has given the liquor element great concern ever since.
 Under 1t present licensees are not affected, but if a town were to go mo- license for even one year and then revert back to the old order of things all the licenses within it's borders would be new licenses and covered by this law. This especial affects Nor wich. where there are several licenses doing business on Water street within much less than 200 feet of Trinity church, and for some reason Norwich people have seemed to fear that the transition Of the city from the iIcense column to the other was imminent and are much worried over the possibilities state would be affected under like con ditions, of course, and there is more or less uneasiness aboHt the matter in Hartford
 / A half dozen bills to change this law were introduced at the beginning of the present session and the excise con- mittee held several hearings on them and all through the session the Nor wien interests have watched the s-sat- ter closely. It was finally decided to report the bill which has passed both houses and is now in the office of the governor, which provides that where a place has been licensed during the last year in which the county commission CTS could legally issue licenses in the tswn 1t shall be legal to again license 1t. In the first place, this means roth ing. for it is not the place which is licensed. but the person who conducts 1t. and H. H. Spooner, the temperance lobbyist, tried to have it amended so that if it was to pass at all 1t would pass in such form as to mean some thing, but its supporters refused to listen to him.
 In the second place, the provision applies, as worded, not alone to places which have changed from license to mo- license and then back again, but to any town and every year and in that way might be held to nullify more or less of the existing statutes concerning sne issuance of licenses. It is understood that it is not so much to the first that Governor Weeks objects as to the prin- ciple of such hasty and possibly far reaching legislation and law so loosely drawn. His veto is understood to be all ready and about to be sent in to the house, where the bill orig mated, and it is very doubtful if both houses can be brought to the state of mind where they will vote to override the veto of the governor who is giving Connecticut such wise and well bal anced administration.