The Detroit times. [volume] (Detroit, Mich.) 1903-1920, 1910-03-19
TO
PASS ON SALOONS
Council Committee Will Meet in Star
Chamber-Prosecut Office Inter
prets Warner Cramton Law.


mittee on liquor regulation Will, within
"A few days. take up the problem OF
Issuing saloon licenses for the coming
year. Chairman link Is carrying eau
ton to the limit, and is not willing 10
even state the time or place of the
committee meeting. Like other alder
men. he is not anxious TO be SUBJECTED
TO any more pulling and hauling than
necessary.
Not until the committee report IS
finished will anything be given out as
10 its contents. Then the committee
will present its report To the council.
merely specifying the names OF the sa-
loonkeepers whose applications are ac-
cepted, but making no mention OF
those who are refused. II is expected
that the council will adopt the report
without It's being read In full.
Only when the council proceedings
appear the next day will the unfor-
tunates who are TO be put out OF busl-
ness learn their fate. Then, 1t is ex-
pected, there will be a loud and bois-
ferrous howl and appeals to aldermen
to file reconsideration notices and re-
open the report. Such proceeding
will be vigorously combatted by the
committee as, once opened. there Is
no telling how long II would take TO
end such Il fight There is little chance.
therefore. for any saloonkeeper who
! IS left out by the committee.
Just how many licenses will be Is
sued Is not absolutely determined.
/ Chairman link contends that the coun
Gil has the right to issue 1883, the
number in effect in April, 1909. He
| has agreed 10 accept the ruling OF the
prosecuting attorneys office. however,
and that ruling will be that the mum
Der must be reduced by the number OF
transfers that have been made during
the year.
Assistant Prosecuting Attorney Kr-
patrick, who acts as assistant TO the
council committee in this regard, gave
The Times an explanation OF this rul-
ing.
The Warner-Cramton law" says
Mr.. Fitzpatrick, provides that the num-
Der OF licenses shall be decreased,
where IL exceeds one to 500 inhabi-
tants, each time that a license is re-
voked or voluntarily surrendered. In
case where a man sells his saloon.
he is unable 10 transfer his license.
The law has never recognized such
transfers. The man who sells cannot
continue In the business at any other
location than that for which his bond
was filed, and he has. therefore, yolun-
tarily surrendered the right 10 do bust
ness. That right does not pass TO the
man 10 whom he sells.
Then the number OF saloons which
can be licensed after May ! is OBJ
tanned by deducting from 1883 the
number of transfers." was asked.
THAT is the case" replied Kilpa;-
rick
He has studied the opinions given
by Attorne General Bird. and is of
the opinion that the various grounds
for reducing the number OF saloon IL
censes as stated in the mandamus
proceedings begun by Attorney Jasper
G. Gates at the direction OF several
Detroit citizens and at the cost OF the
Anti-Saloon league. are not sustained.
Il do not consider that death con-
stitutes surrender OF license" states
Fitzpatrick With regard to the conten
ton that no licenses can be issued liz
place Of those now held by women,
corporations and aliens. the assistant
prosecuting attorney holds that, while
these classes are estopped from get
ting new licenses, their right to do
business until April 80 is unquestioned.
and that the number of licenses is not
affected by their being in the business
81 this time. That change of loca
ton, II recognized by the proper au-
thorities, is not surrender is also a
part of the opinion that the council
will receive.
According to Kilpatrick's opinion,
the council will have the right to Issue
somewhere between 800 and 1920 IL
censes There are now in the neigh
borhood of 1900 applications, while
the number OF saloons in operation
approximates 100. Some OF the APP
plications have been duplicated. while
in others the applicants are ineligible,
and in third class OF cases the appli-
cations are not drawn up In a legal
manner.
Counting out all OF these, the com
mittee will still have to reject between
| 100 and $50 applications.
That these reflections will come
mainly from the lists submitted by
Police Commissioner Croul and by the
brewers. of saloonists who are unde-
! srable is almost certain. These lists
will not be given out by link, even t.
the members OF his committee, until
| the time to pass on the applications
| comes.
Ii is n safe conjecture that none OF
the members of the liquor regulation
committee is particularly pleased
with his job just at present. The
aldermen on that committee are sure
that they will be held responsible by
every man whose application Is re-
| jected.
While the council has the power 20
pass an ordinance at any time reduc-
| ing the number of saloons TO ratio OF
one to every 500 inhabitants. or about
! 900 on an estimated population of 45O-
000. there is no disposition to do so.
The aldermen want the number OF sa-
looms cut down. but they do not care
for the added work and bitterness that
would result from reducing the list
any further than the state law abso-
lutely requires.