The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1910-04-20
Proposed Liquor Law Attacked
and Defended Before COun-
Gil Committee.
WARM C0LL0QIiIES MARK
PROGRESS OF THE DEBATE
No Definite Action Is Taken,
Either for Approval or Re-
lection of Bill.

The proposed new liquor ordinance was
discussed before the municipal laws and
the license committees or the city coun-
ell for three hours Tuesday night. after
which the committees adjourned with
out accomplishing much, either toward
the passage or the rejection of the pro-
poScd ordinance.
At the meeting there were more than
n score OF liquor dealers and others In
tcrcstcd in the passage and am equal
number of women representing various
womcn'S clubs opposed To the passage OF
the proposed ordinance. The liquor deal
crs were represented by George Whit
aker who talked at length In favor Of
the measure. Mr. IL. Il. Berg spoke ut
great length for the opposition.
rather tame. was enlIvened by a joint
debate between Mrs. Berg and Eugene
Willie relative 10 the contribution of a
frst-c class liquor selling restaurant to the
moral uplift OF the community.
Councilman j. w Mckinney presided
at the meeting. The others of the COM
mittccs present were Councilmcn Mulvey.
O'Donncll. Rccdall Moreton, Lyme. Hall
and Fernstrom.
For the Ordinance.
George Whitaker opened with the ar
Gument favoring the passage of the
ordinance. lie said that the ordinance
was favored 10y the knights OF the Loyal
Arch, an organization of Salt Lake bust
more reputable liquor dealers OF the
city.
The object. he said in presenting this
ordinance was to urge upon the council
the necessity OF passing an ordinance
that could be enforced. In discussing the
phases OF the ordinance he was inter-
ruptcd several times by Councilman
Fcrnstrom and n lively argument eusucd,
in which the councilman from the Third
came of with second honors.
At the close of his discussion. several
councilmen asked questions. and finally
Councilman Fcrnstrom asked:
Is your organization political?"
On receiving a negative reply, he asked.
with characteristic sarcasm:
Didn't You give the Republican party
$f5 900 last fall for the campaign fund.-"
Mr.. Fernstrom was told that the
GaniZatiou referred to was not in exist
cnce at the time and that II any liquor
dealers had contributed that sum the
speaker was not aware Of II,
For Public Morals.
Mrs. Berg. in speaking for the opposi-
ton. said that the women OF the city
were opposing the proposed ordinance
not from a POLITICAL financial or even q
prohibition standpoint She admitted that
she was ardent prohibltionlst. but
said that In this case that matter was
purely personal and that ii was from
a standpoint Of public morals that she
was opposing the ordinance
The points Mrs. Berg attacked particu-
larlv were those i'm which three ofTcuscS
against the ordinances were allowed be-
fore IL was mandatory for the city couu-
ell to revoke the license: the reduction
I'm the license from $500 To $1,000 a year.
and the granting Of saloon licenses TO
restaurants.
I'm arguing the last phase of the ordi-
nance, which she contendcd was the
worst, she provoked a debate with e. l..
While. Mr. Willie agreed with her that
there were some restaurants which were
detrimental to the morals Of the COM
munity. but he declared that The innu-
enoc on the first-class restaurant which
catered to the best people was not in
furious 10 the community. Mrs Berg
declared that more harm resulted from
tho attractive. so-called first-class liquor
selling restaurant than from> The low
dive. Mr. Willie diagrccd vchcmcntly.
Adjournment Stops Debate.
Mrs. Berg brought on another storm
bY asking the members of the council
why the saloon license was fixed at the
present figure. Mr.. Fernstrom said that
ii was done 10 eliminate the dive. Mr.
O Douucl declared that IL was polltl-
cal measure 10 get even with the brew
crs for contributing to the Republican
campaign fund. Mr.. Rcedal emphati-
cally disagreed with Mr.. O'Donncll, say
ing that ii was because the city decided
that more drastic measure was needed
TO curb the prohibition agitation.
Finally, Mr.. Mulvey came TO The res
cue by moving an adjournment, which
WAS thankfully agreed to by the other
members OF the committees.