The Birmingham age-herald., 1911-09-25
THE SALOONS WILL SOON BE ON TRIAL Deep Significance in New
 Order of Things BIG RESPONSIBILITIES Excise Board Will Issue Licenses as Soon as Passed Upon-The Pros- pective Saloonists Are Not
 Equipped
BIG RESPONSIBILITIES

Before the expiration of the present week, after having been exiled from the city for nearly four years. the licensed regulated saloon. under the espionage of three excise commissioners. will be ready for business in Birmingham. Either to- day or tomorrow the excise commission CTS, Chairman Agee, MT. Wilkinson and and Mir. Moore, will announce some wholesale and retail applicants who will be permitted, under the Smith law, to do business in Birmingham.
 The prospective saloon operators have remained inactive as far as details are concerned, until the time when the com missoners sfell have passed upon their applications because of the risk of great expense being incurred and then the ap- plication turned down. However, it is ur derstood that little time will be re- quired to secure the necessary equipment with which to open up saloons.
 The commissioners announce that the issuance of peymlts will necessarily be slow and the work will be cautious. They anticipate that few wholesale houses will be authorized first, and then there will follow the licensing of some retail houses.
 The saloon men who will enter busi- ness will be under a severe financial strain during the first three months or until the present year is ended Approx
 imately $500 per month will be paid for
 the license. which is about 60 per cent
 of the total yearly license for saloons l In other cities the size of Birmingham The yearly rate is 5000
 The saloonists are therefore very eager 10 secure licenses and the excise com nissioners are perfectly well aware of tha. disposition. In order to do the best they can, the former plan of announce
 ng all elgibles will be abandoned, anl license will be issued when the appl- cants have been passed. In this way a vast amount of time will be saved as it would be manifestly slow process to hold up all the licenses until the total legal number-4i-is acted upon.
 Never before in the history of this state have saloons ever started out un- der such stringent regulations. On &C., count of the business interests of the state sponsoring the return of the regu- lated saloons, the eyes of the entire peo- pie will be upon them and the three men who are to guide the regulated shops through the forthcoming years. The severest penalties are inscribed with in the laws for violations. Every loop
 hole has been guarded against in or der to maintain the theory of business men that regulation is superior to pro- hibition and that in the former lies the solution for the liquor evil The three commissioners who are known to be men of upright character, realize their respon- sibility; the saloon interests realize their responsibility; Commissioner Lane of the department of public safety realizes his responsibility, and Chief of Police Bod eker realizes his. They all know that unless the very strictest regulations are enforced to the letter that within the coming threo years Alabama will as- suredly be thrown into the melting pot of another prohibition conflict, which means a vast amount of time. trouble and money to the business men.