The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1912-09-29
HOLMES SUES CITY
FOR LIQUOR LICENSE
Semloh Proprietor Asks for
Immediate Hearing on
His Application.
OUTCROWTH OF LETTER
Hotel Man Takes Decided EX-
ceptions to Note of Chief of
Police Grant.
OF LETTER

Alleging that the city commissioners,
the chief Of police nnd the city at"
torney Intentionally delayed approving
the bond which he had hled with his
application for d retail liquor license,
until such time that the hearing Of
the application could not be had until
after October l, on which date his
present license expires, G. s. Holmes
Yesterday afternoon fled suit in the
Third district court against Salt Lake
City, the city commissioners, the chief
and Inspector of police and the city
attorney.
Mr.. Holmes seeks to have the court
hear his application for license at once
and to have tho city commissioners
ordered to issue him the instrument
upon receipt of information Of favora-
BILE action by the court; that the city
ordinance prohibiting the sale Of in
toyicants in private dining rooms hav-
ing doors or curtains be declared Of
no effect, and that the city be re-
strained from interfering with the con-
duct of his business in the Louvre cafe
until the settlement of the case.
Large Property Owner.
Mr. Holmes has been resident of
Salt Lake City for the past twenty.
three years and Is the owner of ST..
100000 worth of property in the city.
During his residence here Mr.. Holmes
has never sold q piece of property but
has constantly increased his holdings.
In the conduct of his hotel business
Mr., Holmes has never been convicted
of breaking any Of the state laws or
the city ordinances.
The suit is the outgrowth of letter
written to the city commissioners sew
eral days ago by Chief Of Police 3. T.
Grant. The police head charged that
the city ordinance requiring that all
private dining room booths had been
obeyed by every restaurant keeper Ill
Salt Lake excepting Mr.. Holmes. The
chief also asserted that liquor was
sold in the Louvre after midnight, in
fact as late as or clock in the
morning. In closing his letter Chief
Grant recommended that unfavorable
action be taken by the commission on
Mr.. Holiness application for retail IL
quor license.
The city commission referred the let
ter to the city legal department with
instruction that it appear in the district
and protest in the name of the city.
Says Cafe Necessary.
In his complaint Mr.. Holmes alleges
that he has 100000 invested in the
Semloh hotel and that as a necessary
adjunct he operates Herewith dining
rooms where guests can obtain meals
at all reasonable hours of the day or
night, lie AYERS that the operation of
the dining rooms is essential and that
the hotel could not be operated profit
ably and in competition with other
first-class hotels without them,
The complaint then sets out several
sections Of the city's restaurant ordi~
nance which was passed by the board
of commissioners May 16. 1912. The
milton of restaurant keeper; define
the hours in which intoXicants shall
not be sold, given away or served in
any restaurant; the provision that the
doors of restaurants shall remain un.
locked during all such times as anyone
is within; that no restaurant shall have
any private dining rooms or booths In
which iDtOXicaDts are sold or served if
the booths or rooms can be closed with
curtains or doors; and sets forth the
punishment for violation Of any Of the
provisions of the enactment.
Made Changes Requested.
The plaintiff asserts that the chief
Of police called upon him Immediately
after the passage OF the ordinance and
conferred with him In reference to
changes in the restaurant. He alleges
that he made the changes designated,
with the exception Of keeping doors on
necessary banquet rooms. The latter, he
asserts, are necessary in the proper con-
duct Of his hotel business
On one occasion, Mr.. Holmes alleges,
that Chief Grant was absent from the
city and during such absence he had a
call from Inspector of Police c.. 4.
Carlson, the then acting chief. He as
serts that Inspector Carlson demanded
that he do not allow guests who had
purchased wines and liquors before mid
night to be served with their purchases,
alleging that such action would be
violation Of the ordinance. Mr. Holmes
asserts that he asked Inspector Carlson
to get a ruling on the validity of the
ordinance by expeditions proceedings.
But Inspector Carlson, Mr. Holmes
saYs, refused to take such action.
The complaint characteriZes the
statements of Chief Grant In the lat
ter's commune cation to the city COM
missioners as "mostly gratuitous, mis-
leading, deceptive and III many respects
false and untrue The statement that
people are in the cafe as late as 3
or clock in the morning, Mr.. Holmes
says, is absolutely false and untrue
and known SO to boz by Chief Grant.