The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1911-10-17
SALOONS OPEN
 FOR ELECTION
Liquor Prosecutor Dickerman Decides They Needn't Close
 in New Haven
NEW ISSUE IS RAISED
Corporation Counsel KleineY Differs. But Liquor Prosecutor is the
 Umpire.

New Haven, Oct. 17-Liquor Prose cutting Attorney Hubert L. Dickerman who has final Jurisdiction in the mat. ter has determined after considerable research on the question, that the sa- looms of the city will not be required to close on the day of the special cleo. tion, November IA, when New Haven people will vote on the budget bono issue to which the referendum clause was attached by the last legislature MT. Dickerman came to his conclu sion after the matter had been refer. red to him successively by Towr Clerk Whitaker, and Corporation Counsel Kleiner, and hinges upon the interpretation of the term election as applied to the voting on that day He believes that, inasmuch as it is 8 special election, it is not governed which say that the determination ot any matter by choice constitutes ar election
 When Town Clerk Whitaker be- came aware that there was to be some challenge on the part of saloonkeep- CTS and liquor interests in general to the right to compel closing on the special election day he called up Cor poration Counsel Kleiner, who said he had no Jurisdiction in the matter and in turn referred him to MT. Dick erman as the authority. MT. Dicker- man gave his opinion as told with the result that there will be no prose cutions for keeping saloons open or election day.
 Kleiner's Opinion.
 Corporation Counsel Kleiner said last evening that he had advised MT Dickerman that it was only fair tha, . l. ,s<z.,, to the election in order to give sa- loonkeepers an opportunity to make provisions. He had looked up the statute himself and his opinion though in no wise official, had been that the saloons should be required to close, just as in any general city election. In his opinion. the term election in the statutes on the mat ter is broad enough to cover any bal fering with the liquor prosecutor in the question. The law reads that cer- tain things should be done at the reg ,ular city election. The matter never came up before within his recollec- tion. although there are various deci- ular election.
 MT. Kleiner's idea is that the deter imitation of any matter by choice constitutes an election and the rules which govern an election regarding the closing of saloons apply to any so-called special election.
 Last Special Election.
 The last special election was held when Andrew Allen was elected to succeed Registrar of Vital Statistics Carr, who had died in office. But in that a candidate was voted for and there was no alternative but to follow the rules of a general election Some years ago when Judge Robertson was corporation counsel and a, special election was called to decide an issue, the same matter of closing the sa- looms came up and, as now recalled Judge Robertson decided that they should be closed.
 Surprise is generally expressed al the decision of the liquor prosecutor especially as it was exactly opposite to the opinion of Corporation Counsel Kleiner, but at the same time it was considered only right that the. man who has to prosecute those who vio- late the liquor law should determine whether they may remain open or not It is believed that this is the first case in a city election, special Or oth- erwise, when the saloons have been al- lowed to remain opep.