The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1911-03-14
Council Passes Ordinance
Providing Rate Shall Be
$3.50, Which Is a Reduction
of a Dollar.
LOCAL SALOONISTS
ARE GIVEN PRAISE
Saloons Here Called Best in
State and Council Believes
City Should Appreciate
This Fact.

Council fixed the city liquor license
fee at $3.50. last night. thereby lower
ing II 81. The board of works recon-
mcnded $500 city license. but the
council thought this too high. An
amendment was presented by Council
man Weishaupt. of the First Ward,
and adopted by a unanimous vote.
slicing $50 from the boards ordinance.
For the first time In the career of
the present city administration the
councilmen held the throttle. Recog-
nizing this fact. Mayor Zimmerman
made no effort to offer opposition. He
explained why the board presented an
ordinance providing $500 license. by
saying tho matter had to be put before
council i'm some form.
What the Mayor Said.
Though still declaring for high IL
censc, the Mayor told council 1t was
IN tn them and they could do what
they pleased He stated that IL the
board had not presented the ordinance
the license fee would have dropped to
$500. losing something over $1,000 to
the city each year. The saloon iicen-
scs at $251 brought in approximately
$l3.500. The dollar deduction will
make little difference to the receipts
from this source.
Last week three licenses were grant
cd by the City Controller at $500. a
saving of s5l to each of the saloon.
lists. Mayor Zimmerman assured the
councilmen that this difference could
be collected.
Several members of council. on the
final vote on the ordinance as amend
ed. gave their reasons for opposing a
high license. Their statements fol-
low:
Couneilmen's Opinions.
viii III. Bartel-"There's no use
jumping on the saloon man just be-
cause you can. The county gets 500
more for Its license and | think that
increase is enough. Saloon men are
living mp To the laws. II they had not
done so | would be advising the limit"
II. H. Engelbert-"When the legis-
lature first met they thrashed out the
liquor question. The original bill was
for total license of $450-the city H.
cense remaining as In the Nicholson
law, Mt $3.50. Then Proctor got hold
Of Il and advocated high license. But
ms far as Richmond is concerned $3.50
il enough. I say that the Proctor bill
is the best liquor legislation ever
passed In the state. The breweries
can't interference thugs are given
licenses. Richmond saloons are the
best In the state"
Richard King-"The higher the H.
Cense the more the little man is crowd.
ed out. He has just the same right
to be In business as the big one. The
drop of 81 isn't going TO hurt any
thing, only a reduction of So from
313.500"
Matt Won Pein-'lf knew that the
moral standard of Richmond would be
raised II $50 more was exacted from
each saloonist, Id vote for higher H.
cense. The saloon keepers of Rich
mond are n very respectable set of
men. Let us not jump on saloon keep
ers because we can"
Alphons Weishaupt - Since the
county commissioners have fixed the
pro rata at one for each 500 persons,
] am not in favor of raising the H.
ccnse. n the pro rata had been. one
for each 1000 persons I'd vote TO raise
the license
There We're n few saloon keepers in
the audience when the bill went
through. Following the meeting there
were expressions OF satisfaction over
the course council had taken and even
the board was not greatly vexed.