The Lake County times. [volume] (Hammond, Ind.) 1906-1933, 1911-04-28

bAFFl ING
SAL00NMEN

~ q
Gary saloonmen are in quandary at
! the present time over certain citations
of the new Proctor law regarding the
fixing of the city license fee by the
city council and the clause in the Gary
ordinance which gives them the right
to pay for their city license in two an
nua1 installments. With the meeting
| of the county commissioners at Crown
Point next Monday. only a few days
| away the are at loss to know what
to do.
Fee Cannot BE Changed.
| The present law on the payment Of
license fees is entirely changed from
what 1t was before the passage of the
new Proctor law, which authorizes the
city council of cities like Gary. to fix
the city license fee not to exceed $500
and provides that when once nxeu
cannot be changed.
! The Gary council by the passage of
an ordinance soc time ago fixed the
icity license fee at $500 The same law
provides that If saloon keeper does
I not pay all the amount fixed by the
council. within five days. then the order
of the board of county commissioners
and his county license is made null and
void. It also provides that If the whole
of the license fee is not paid to the
city. then the board of commissioners
or the court shall make his license
Cannot BE Paid In Installments.
Under the same law the city council
of Gary has no right to permit the
$500 license fee to be paid in install
ments. but It must all be paid within
the FIVE days and any attempt on the
part of the city council to make the
license fee of $500 payable in two equal
linstallments is contrary to the state
law and has no force and effect
Strike Out Clause or New Ordinance.
1t will be remembered that the Gary
council attempted to make the license
fee payable on May 1st and October
1st of each year. but this is void be-
cause of the state law.
Just what action the city council
will take on this issue is not known
and it is more than likely that a new
ordinance will have to be creareu In
order that it conform with the Proctor
law.
All Licenses Expire May list.
Another point which is creating con-
sternation among the saloonmen Ii
Gary. is the fact that all the city IL
censes were made by the city council
to expire on May LIST and none of the
present saloon keepers city licenses are
good beyond that time
/ The question now is, must the saloon
keepers who have county licenses ex-
piring in June and in the months there :
after. pay the city $500, to continue
selling liquor until their county Ii :
censes. or in other words will they be
compelled to pay $500 to continue in
business one. two. or three months I'M
til their county licenses expire?
Cannot Sell City Licenses.
A number of them will be unable 70
secure renewals, and if so can they get
any part of the $500 back when it is
once paid into the city treasury.
! Another question is. when they pay
the $500. can the get a city license for
a whole year. and when their county IL
!, censes expire can they sell their city
licenses. There IS no provision in the
Proctor law giving them the right to
sell their city licenses.
Busy; Consulting Attorneys.
The saloon keepers are being kept
busy consulting their attorneys. some
holding that they must pay the whole
sum of $500 May LIST even though
their count licenses expire in one. two
4 or three months and then look to the
! council to refund the unused portion of
l it. Others hold that they will only be
required TO pay for the number of
months. their county licenses expire
: after May LIST
Goods Can BE COnhscnted.
y The Proctor law further provides
that if a man sell liquor without hav-
ing paid the whole license fee of $500
they arethen selling without a license
, and are violating the state law and
their business and goods can be con-
fscated ans destroyed under the blind
!, tiger law.
Attorneys well advised believe that
: the only safe way for the Gary saloon
!. keepers to do is to pay his $500 within
: five days after he secures his renewal
and. as to those whose county licenses
: do not expire until after May 1st, tina:
they should pay $500 and then wher
\ they secure their renewals and Their
pay $500 to the city and then apply t
the city council to refund and pay bach
4 the unused portion of the first $500 pay
q VIII Pay $1,000 For City Licenses.
This will make it necessary for some
81 saloonmen in Gary to pay $1,000 to the
city within the next thirty or sixty
days.
The saloon keepers are keeping the
wires to the mayors. city clerks and
n city attorneys offices hot in askin 6
y questions concerning these matters.
THE TIMES is informed that the city
clerk is standing firm in refusing Il
\ issue any licenses whatsoever unless
d $500 is paid in cash at the time the
s. city license = asked for.
j Some attorneys are holding that un