The Detroit times. [volume] (Detroit, Mich.) 1903-1920, 1911-12-21
LID WILL NOT Be LIFTED
CHRISTMAS OR NEW YEARS,
SAYS COMMISSIONER CROUL
'Saloonkeepers To Be Allowed No
Special Privileges on Holidays,
Police Head Declares.
PROSECUTOR GIGS BACK
Shepherd Now Claims He Was
Misunderstood as to Attitude
Toward Open Bars.

There 10 to be no lifting OF the "lid
on Christmas and New Years. 20
ilice Commissioner Croul said SO, Wed
nesday, when asked by The Times
what he had TO say In reference 70
the statement credited TO Prosecutor
Shepherd to the effect that saloon
keepers wouldn't be expected to OBJ,
serve the liquor law TO the letter on
the holidays.
Prosecutor Shepherd told me, this
morning, that he was misunderstood
in regard 20 what he said about the
observance OF the liquor law on
Christmas and New Years" said the
commissioner. MIR. Shepherd advised
me that he never intimated that the
ssloonkeepers would be allowed any
more privilege on Christmas than on
any other holiday when their places
OF business are supposed to be closed.
LAS a matter of fact. the liquor laws
are going 10 be Just as rigidly en-
forced on Christmas day as the police
are able to enforce them. The only
latitude to be allowed will be on Sat
urday night, which the Hotelkeepers'
association has decided TO observe as
celebration night On that occasion,
we shall not insist on the cafes in
connection with bars being absolutely
dry after ~ o'clock The bars will
have to close at IL o'clock, but pa
irons OF the adjoining cafes who have
ordered bovies OF liquor or drinks in
glasses prior to the closing hour. will
be allowed to remain at their tables
and drink their beverages. No drinks
will be allowed TO be ordered and
served in the cafes and public dining
rooms after IL o'clock, Saturday night.
The bars will be closed at midnight
saturday, and must remain shut up
until 9 o'clock, Tuesday morning.
That long period OF dryness may be
displeasing to many, but the law
must be obeyed. What Is the good OF
having laws II we don't enforce them?
We shall certainly be on the watch
for violations, and II any saloonkeep-
ars or hotel men are caught, they will
suffer for II.
Personally | am In favor OF a
reasonable regulation OF the saloons,
and | want TO say that there are
many saloonkeepers in Detroit willing
can be divided into three classes. the
good, the Indifferent and the bad
There are about 500 in each class
The law says that no license shall be
Issued to an ex-convict. an alien or a
woman. Now IL the common council
would only eliminate the illegal hold
ers of licenses, we would get rid OF a
lot OF undesirables. We ought not to
have more than 1000 saloons In De-
troit about one TO every 500 OF popu-
lation. II such a situation obtained
here, license would be valuable and
there would be more attention paid
10 the regulations by those in the
saloon business. In Pennsylvania
there Is only one saloon TO every / 900
population. and the liquor laws are
shown every respect, because of the
value attached to license The
same respect is also shown for
license In Ontario. where the saloon
and hotel licenses are issued by
government board.
1T will not surprise me to see the
excise commission plan adopted here
II the liquor violations continue as
In the past Something will have to
be done TO place the issuing OF
licenses in the hands OF a commission
with power TO eliminate saloon
Keeper II his conduct warrants It.
have many saloonkeepers call on me
the prohibitionlsts never visit me.
because they know that | am not for
wlpinB out the saloons with one
sweep-and these saloonkeepers tell