Perth Amboy evening news., 1911-01-16

1 Woulu i've To see the uHue when Il
law would be passed taking the
saloons out of politics entirely.
Perhaps not. Bat that is no reason
why we should not work with that
end in view, In the meantime, of
course, doing everything in our
power to remedy the present con-
ditions.
George L. Record, the new idea"
leader in Hudson county, had an in
~teresting article In the Jersey City
Journal recently, entitled, "IIow to
diminish the evils and the number
Of saloons" We may not all agree
with Mr.. Record in everything that
he says, but all will admit that he
is a smart man. There is a great
deal of common sense in much that
he says about public affairs.
In the article already referred to
| Mr.. Record blames the brewery for
much Of the evils that exist in the
liquor business. This Is brought
about through their control OF the
saloons. The argument put up by
| Mr.. Record is well worth consider
ing. We quote 1t as follows:
"It is a curious fact that our ac-
tive temperance agitators are for
ever attempting to do what exper-
, iencs shows cannot be done, to wit,
to enforce the liquor law in COM
munities where public sentiment is
opposed to it's enforcement, and that
they fail to direct their activities
toward the lessening Of the number
of saloons and the material evils in
1.-THE traffic.
"Some of the worst evils of the
liquor traffic arise from the fact that
in the development OF the business
the brewers have secured practical
control Of a large majority of the
saloons. The practice followed by
the brewers is to multiply the num-
Der of saloons without regard to the
legitimate demand. In pursuance of
this practice they will open a place,
put in the fixtures and advance
money for a license.
'aThe man Installed to run the
place under this plan is irresponsi-
BILE, and Is forced to agree to turn
a certain mount weekly on ac-
count of the license and the mort
rage. This compels him to create
hook or crook sufficient business
0 pay the weekly-insta1lment to the
(which
2 ave iie pro1pds that rrh4
~aax-rassR slx~vwx
lot possible to earn syyH1irs legiti
sale of liquor enough money to
fulfill these two demands. He is
hen faced with the alternative. Of
throwing up his position or forcing
the traffic in some way.
Under the stress OF these hard
and of this powerful
temptation. he gradually begins to
cater to an illicit trade, and by de-
grees HE place taken On the char
acteristies of a dive. Women are
encouraged to frequent the place
and every kind OF q device ia re-
sorted to to force the sale of liquor.
The place becomes under these con-
| ditions a standing temptation to ex-
| cessive drinking, to various forms
OF gambling, and other gross vices.
saThese are the plague spots OF
| the business. 1t ia here that the
| real permanent moral harm of the
traffic is accomplished. The way to
remedy 1T would apparently be to
pass a law preventing the brewers
from taking an assignment of the
license issued to the saloonkeeper.
This would compel them to trust
the man they put in charge to the
extent of the price of the license,
from three to five hundred dollars.
cit would seem reasonable that
the state should not grant a license
to a man whose responsibility is SO
poor that he cannot command cre-
dit to the extent of three Or five
hundred dollars. Such a law would
compel the brewery to trust only a
man whose character was sufficient
to guarantee q repayment of the
money advanced. This would sub
s%equently lessen the total number of
saloons and would eliminate all
those places where the worst evils