Los Angeles herald., 1910-01-13
BREWERY QUITS
LICENSE FIGHT
tCoutrnued from Page on",


any of your suggestions and do
everything in our power to rectify
any such state of affairs.
We desire no unnecessary delay
in any of your Investigations, but
are willing to proceed at the earli-
est possible moment that you may
find convenient to take this mat
ter UP, and we feel certain that in
thus dealing with all these various
matters at once and not by piece
meal you will get a more complete
and satisfactory view of the entire
situation and be better able to do
your full duty in each specific in
stance. and that you will also save
both time and expense to your
selves and to the various institu-
tions under investigation.
Let us add that we know you
will suspend Judgment and criti-
cism until all of the evidence is
before you.
1t may not be amiss to say that
the signer of this letter on behalf
of the company has never had any
desire whatever nor has anyone
connected with the brewery any
desire whatever, to do anything
but obey the law. If there has
been any transgression in the past
it has not been due to any wish on
the part of the brewery manage
ment to step outside of legal
bounds.
Roberts Saloons investigated
Suspecting this flag of truce from thu
enemy might hide a battery of somt
kind that was designed to protect T
P. Roberts, who holds several retail
permits as an agent of the brewery
the commission decided to take up a
least one case against Mr.. Roberts ant
secured some of the evidence that Com
missioner Topham has been so dill
compiling. Roberts, as trustee
for the Maier Brewing company, hold:
three retail permits in Los Angeles ant
on in San Pedro, and he had been citet
to appear before the commission anC
show cause why these permits should
not be revoked, as the saloons fol
which he holds the permits are actually
owned, as far as stock and fixtures are
by other persons.
Several members of the commission
were inclined to delay the prosecution
Of the Roberts cases until the books OF
the brewery had been examined, but
after a five minutes close conference
in which Commissioner Topham de,
clared he would no longer serve on the
committee of investigation that he ha,
so successfully conducted unless al
least one of the cases was tried, the
commission decided Mr.. Roberts woulC
have to stand trial.
The case of the Exchange saloon, II;
East First street, was selected. This
saloon is actually owned by Pecetto
Damaties Bros, but the permit ans
Il L., e ~
Mr.. Roberts frankly admitted
Maier Brewing company. He went
further and declared that all the Other
permits for saloons that stand in his
name are held in trust for the brewery
He said that he believed the brewery
had a right to traffic in licenses as il
had been the custom for years, and il
answer to a question by Commissioner
Wellborn stated he considered it the
of the police commission tC
ratify any transfers of licenses the
brewery might choose to make. He de
clared he did not want a saloon permit
as a personal privilege and if it shoulc
prove Illegal for him to hold permits
in trust for the brewery he had NJ
further interest in them.
Hearing Not Closed
In the main Mr.. Roberts appeared
willing to tell the truth and withhold
nothing from the commission, and the
commission takes the frank confession
of Mr.. Roberts as indicating that thO
offer of the Maier Brewing company il
made in good faith.
The evidence in the Exchange saloo1
case showed that on December %.
day or two after Tophan had sharpenet
his knife and started out with F. il
Hahn to inquire into the brewery dom
ination of the retail liquor business
Roberts went to PecettO and presented
an agreement for Pecetto & Damatie
Bros. to sign, giving Roberts one-fourtl
interest in the saloon. Mr.. Roberts ad
mits he had done this, but said it wa
to protect the license and that he dit
not expect any financial returns from
the partnership.
The real owners of the saloon refused
to sign the agreement, and Pecetto toll
the commission that when he refuse
the offer Roberts threatened to clos
them out altogether and run the salool
himself. A federal license issued to T
p. Roberts & Co. that was securet
after this partnership agreement wa
presented and refused was introduced
Roberts had difficulty in explainint
why he secured this license, while on
for the same period had been issued t
Pecetto & Damaties Bros.
The hearing in this case was no
closed. but this and all other citation
that had been issued for last nigh