The diamond drill. (Crystal Falls, Iron County, Mich.) 1887-1996, 1909-05-15
LIQUOR REGULATION
IS DECIDED UPON
BILL PASSED HOUSE LAST WEEK MEETS
APPROVAL or BOTH SIDES
, ONE SALOON TO 500 PEOPLE
Present Saloons May Continue but no New
Ones To be Licensed Until Ratio is
Reached.

The Michigan legislature has finally
agreed 70 liquor regulation bill that
seems to be good one and at the same
time meets the approval OF both sides
to the controversy. The bill is not yet
law but the unanimity OF approval
with which IL was met seems TO in
dicate it's speedy enactment into a law.
AS may be seen from the outline Of
the bill which follows, Crystal Falls
cannot have more than "a saloons until
the ratio OF one saloon 10 each 500 OF
population Is reached, which means
that the liquor dealers now in business
may remain therein but should they
drop ont or should they be forced out
in any way no saloon can be licensed
in the place of those SO deposed until
the ratio Is reached which means about
10 saloon for this CITY.
without friction the house got
down 10 business Saturday and agreed
TO a sensible bill revising the general
liquor laws Of the state. SO well sat
isfied were the members with the re-
suits attained tnat the rules were sus-
pended and the measure placed on i'm
mediate passage. 1t passed s3 to 2,
the two nays being Representatives
Beeman aud Jensen.
The salient features of the bill are
as follows
Limits saloons TO one to each 500
population, with home rule provision
that IL any city, village or township
desires a smaller number OF saloons 1t
can be accomplished by passing the
desired ordinance Present saloons are
not wiped out. but no new ones are
permitted until the number falls below
the legal ratio
Prohibits women and ex-convicts
from holding saloon licenses.
Prohibits druggists from selling malt
or brewed liquors. conhning them TO
malt extracts and to spirituous liquors
to be sold only on prescriptions which
must be recorded
Fixes the open hours for saloons from
6 a. m. TO p. m, with the provision
that the common council OF any city
or village may extend the hour for
closing 70 IL o'clock. mid night.
Reyokes the license Of any person
who Is twice convicted Of violating the
liquor laws.
When the bill was taken up fol con-
sideration there was general feeling
that tho situation demanded fair
measure. which would be explicit In
its terms. and this helped wonderfully,
There was no attempt made at running
in fanatical provisions and when the
bill was passed everyone expressed sat
isfaction
The bill was amended in several par
ticuars so as 10 clear up Ambiguous
terms and also to provide the machin-
cry securing the revocation Of licenses.
IL was provided that all applicants for
licenses should set up certain facts and
agree that when twice complained OF
and convicted of violating the law the
common council may revoke his license
Further. the bill makes IL the duty OF
the trial iudge, who has knowledge
that any conviction is the second one,
10 order the license in question revok-
ed. This double safeguard makes
escapes impossible
The brewers and other. liquorsinter-
ests who have been trying TO secure a
workable regulation bill declare that
they will obey the law to the letter.
and th=t they are glad 10 have specific
regulations which viii safeguard the
interest of all concerned Representa-.
tive Cramton, who killed the Oimsbee
bill. expressed the opinion that the
new bill h "A comm0n-sense measure.
There Ia now every reason 10 believe
that Il will be passed by the senate
Representative Lodge, of Detroit, had
the honor OF presiding when the bill
was considered.
Since putting the above In print Tn,
bill has passed the senate with few
changes and is law. The most i'm
.poLynt change is the total elimination
OF the section regarding druggists ant
the limiting of the closing hours
These can be extended only in citie
Of 10000 or more OF population.