Los Angeles herald., 1910-01-06
TheLiQuor Question
''SocidI' Clubs Abuse Should Be Corrected
byd Strict License ReguIafiOn-C Chief of
Police DiShman Declares Many of
Them Are Virtually Blind Pigs

the time that urge the increase in the Ii
~ cense fee for retail liquor dealers, would also
urge the council to enact legislation giving those dealers
protection against certain wrongful competition and
just burdens to which they exposed. We refer
particularly to the so-called social clubs which have in
creased rapidly in this city within the last years.
We reliably informed that there the present
time in the city of Los Angeles nearly one hundred in
sutons existing under the of social clubs which
retail liquor to their so-caed members 1t is estimated
by the chief of police of the city that fully 90 Of these
clubs are organized and maintained solely for the sale
OF intoxicating liquors. In this connection the following
letter received from Chief of Police Dshman in response
to inquiry made by The Herald is of great interest and
Importance. Chief Dishman says:
Replying to your inquiry relative to the so-cal1ed
social clubs in this city do not hesitate say that fully
90% of them organized for and maintained by the
sale of Intoxicating liquors that they are virtually
blind pigs, which, owing to the existing laws,
unable to successfully prosecute No greater abuse OF
the liquor selling privilege exists in this city, and the
manner in which these places conducted not only
works hardship upon retail liquor dealers who have to
pay license, deprves the city OF revenue to which is
entitled, but also encourages drinking to excess by
class OF persons who would not frequent saloons and
other places where liquor is sold These clubs remain
open all night all day Sunday and election days, in
defiance OF law Practically every person who is willing
to pay nominal can secure membership; womer
taken to these places and piled with liquor the trade
of minors is at of them encouragedn short every
possible abuse of the liquor selling privilege which
could imagine may be found at another of these
dives, for dives they
he TACT that such places are permitted to do buS1-
is not reflection upon the police department
upon the prosecuting attorneys office, because both
have made strenuous efforts to put of them of
business. By of their possession of state char
and by seeming comply with the law the pro-
prieors of these establishments have in every de-
feated Our efforts to convictions. We have
pended hundreds of dollars worked many officers for
days at time and secured what the prosecuting officers
told than sufficient evidence, but the per-
arrested have invariably demanded jury trials and
in no case have we been able to get verdict against
them.
"The' difficulties of this department in dealing with
these clubs would be removed at least reduced to
minimum, if your plan to place all social clubs the
status the Saloons that IS to require them to first
license permit from the board of police commits
soners and then pay license which, in my opinion,
should not be less than $500 per month-twice that sum
would be better We would then be able to
victions of persons who sell liquor i'll clubs without
license, and the imposition of such license tax would
drive 800 of the clubs out of existence
This shows the existence in this city of a condition
of affairs which is not only seriously harmful from
social point of view but is also disgrace to city gov
ernment which charges regular retail liquor dealers
license fee to transact business in the city pretending at
the time to give advantage to their business
by limiting the numbers of those engaged i'll but actu
ally failing to enforce such limitation
The city of Los Angeles cannot afford, a matter
of honesty to conduct its business in this way
The retail liquor license in the city has been raised from
$50 to $0O per month. The protection given the retail
dealer by the limitation in number of licenses make the
license transact such business i'll the city waltz
able With the unchecked existence of so-called social
clubs in the city, organized and maintained solely for
the purpose of selling Intoxicating liquors, unjust
competition with the regularly licensed dealer intro
duced and the time the city is virtually cheated
out of the revenue whcn it should from this class
of business The Herald would therefore earnestly urge
the adoption by the city council of legislation which will
impose upon every social club i'll the city monthly Ii
cense tax equal that charged the retail liquor dealer
and also that this law be supplemented by which will
carefully regulate the granting of social club licenses
as to make it impossible for any other than bona hde
social club with considerable membership which it
serves with regular meals. to obtain such license.
We are aware that some of the members of the bona
hde social clubs of the city, such the California the
Jonathan, University and the Concordia, object upon
principle their clubs being required to pay munich
pal license At the time, if these members will
for moment consider the situation i'll which all social
clubs of the city placed by these miserable dives that
are now operated in city under the of social
clubs we think they will withdraw their objection The
membership of the clubs that have named, and
carnations of like character should naturally stand at
the very head of the social life of the city. Yet if the
same law which sanctions their organization and gives
them life can be taken advantage Of and is taken ad-
vantage Of in nearly hundred instances in the city to
create 'bind pigs" and places where women are taken
and piled with liquor and the trade OF minors IS en-
couraged-in short every possible abuse of the liquor
selling privilege which imagine may be found,
as stated by Chief Dshman such conditions must be
resented by every honest and decent citizen who proud
of the social club to which he belongs
There seems to be other way to protect the repu
table and decent social club from having its class