The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1911-05-20
BENT BILL TO REGULATE
 CLUB DRINKS
License Fee of $1O0 Requir- ed, and Only Bona Eide Organizations to Be
 Licensed

A bill which is of considerable i'm. portance and which will greatly effect club liquor traffic, will be reported mittee of the General Assembly when presented to the legislature, Tuesday
 Representative William w. Bent ot this city some time ago was appoint ed a committee of one by the Excise committee of which he is a member to draft a bill. The bill to be present. ed next Tuesday is his own. and is herewith printed. The bill regulates the licensing of suitable clubs for s100 to sell liquors. It is left with the county commissioners to deem whether a club is suitable. The com mfsSioners shall deem a club unsuit- able if they believe it was organized for the purpose of selling liquors The bill meets with the approval of li- quor dealers all over the state Some retail license holders complain that they have been driven out of business because of the existence of these club "cafes''
 Representative Bent's bill follows: Be it enacted by the Senate and the
 House of Representatives in General
 Assembly convened:
 Section 1. The county commission CTS of each county may upon payment OI d lee UT O1lS hundred OOlldTS, license by a writing signed by them, any suitable club or association located in suitable place in any city or town In their respective counties in which licenses may be legally granted, to sell, dispense, or distribute spirituous and Intoxicating liquors to it's mem- bers, on the premises occupied by such club or association, which premises shall be specified and described in such license, for the same period provided by law for licenses to dealers in Spir- 1tuous and intoxicating liquors in such city or town. No club or association shall be deemed to be suitable to re- ceive such license if the commissioner shall be of the opinion that such club or association is organized for the pur- pose of engaging in. or of giving em- ployment to any of it's members by engaging in, the sale of spirituous and intoxicating liquors.
 Sec. 2. Every application for such club license shall be similar in form to that required of an applicant for retail dealers license, shall be sign ed by the president and secretary of such club or association, and shall be accompanied by a statement, subscrib. ed and sworn to by the president or secretary of such club or association, of the names of all the officers and members of such club or association,
 
 dence, it's membership fees and annual dues. and the date of it's organization or incorporation, together with a copy of its constitution and bylaws; and hearing thereon shall be upon such notice. and proceedings thereon shall be subject to such remonStrance and appeal as is provided by law concern ing the issuance of licenses to retail dealers
 Sec. 8. No such club or association shall receive such license until it shall have filed with the county comqris- sioners a joint and several bond. sign ed, on behalf of such club or associa- tion, by it's president and secretary, in the sum of one hundred dollars, and containing the same conditions re- quired in bonds required of retail deal- CTS in spirituous and intoxicating liz euOrs.
 Sec. 4.-All buildings or places used by clubs or associations, whether in- corporated or not, not so licensed, for the purpose of selling, distributing, or dispensing intoxicating liquors to their members or others shall be deemed common nuisances. and every person who keeps or maintains, or assists in keeping or maintaining, such com mon nuisance shall be subject to the penalties provided by section 2712 of the general statutes.
 Sec. ,. The provisions Of sections two, three. and four of chapter 174 of the public acts of 1909, and section 2647 of the general statutes as amend ed by chapter POO of the public acts of 1907, shall not apply to applications for licenses or to licenses granted un- der the provisions of this act.
 NUGGETS, quality first, last and