Perth Amboy evening news., 1912-11-16
PUBLIC OPINION

/ GltGlBu tACloS DOdlu That TO- NhOHN
members who have been brought for
ward through the influence of the
Civic Union. Since We have mad so
many kinds of excise boards-some
good, some extremely Indifferent and
some downright bad for one am
naturally on the anxious seat in or
der to satisfy myself as to what good
the new board might accomplish.
The other day 1 learned through
the columns of the NEWS that it vas
the intention Of some of the newly
elected members to make a personal
visit to all of the saloons as we'll as
the so-called saloons, which latter
may more properly be termed de
p~ositorles" of the brewers who brew
the various brands of malt juice
which sometimes cheer, but more
often ~intoXicate. This may be a good
plal On thelr part to acquaint them
serves Nth the actual conditions as
the Investigators find them. But
please count me out" to use a slang
phrase. If the undersigned were
compelled to sample the various
kinds of beer, &c, as dispensed at
some of these undoubtedly unclean-
not only morally either-hostelrles,
he would in a short time be in a fit
condition to receive admission at
either a lunatic asylum Dr. the pest
house-all at the discretion of the
examining physician. For be it
known that the sanitary conditions
of many of these so-called saloons
are vile indeed, and the moral aspect
d%eplorable. To be sure, there are
respectable places which are con-
Quoted in a way that is BETTING and
which obey not only the laws of the
excise board, but also those of nature
and humanity. 1t is for the board
to weed out and exterminate the
former.
Do not think for a moment, Mr..
Editor, that / am a temperance fana-
tic. ! am a staunch believer Of
wholesome food and surroundings,
with q "wee drop" occasionally on
the side, the German influence pre-
ferred. BY that l do not mean to
say that. although a Progressive in
politics, | would draw the line on
Wilson, for be it from me to refuse
any of the good stuff providing it
be dished out in a clean place and in
cheerful company.
But, seriously speaking, it appears
to me hat the people of this city are
J largely themselves to blame for ex-
listing excise conditions, and with a
view of helping along the good work
intended to be done by the newly
elected excise commissioners, | have
a suggestion to make which tt ey
may either accept or reject, as they
see fit. 1t is gratuitiously offered:
Let all licenses expire at the end
of the fiscal year, 1914, and then
grant them from year to year., as is
the case at present, taking only pro
rata payment for any licenses that
may and will run out until December
81, 1918, or February 2S, 1914,
whatever date the fiscal year may
end. The intervening period of time
up to the beginning of the fiscal year
may be made to serve as q s0-Called
probationary period for houses of
questionable repute, &c. For exam
pie:
Assuming X. US license runs out
on July 4, 1918, and the fiscal year
begins January I, 1914. x. Y. makes
due application for a renewal. The
board takes it into consideration and
grants the applicant (giving him the
benefit of doubt as to its reputable
condition, &C., his license until De-
cember 81, 1912. The payment made
for such license to be only pro rata
for the number of months and days
intervening, after which latter late
the board may grant him license for
full year.
BY taking such a course the board
will have ample opportunity to thor
oughly investigate actual conditions
as to X. US place of business in
every way and can closely watch as
% whether or not he complies with
the excise laws.
, Laws are made to protect the law
abiding man. If any one conflicts
with the strong arm Of the law he
should be made to feel its superiority
and suffer. Excise laws are made to
I be obeyed as well, and if a saloon
keeper violates these laws he should
also pay the penalty. Most of them
are orderly enough, but places of
questionable repute should be sup
pressed. This probationary period
(Which, by the way, could only exist
until beginning of the fiscal year
1914, and which would act in favor
Of the new excise commissioners by
reason of giving them ample chance
to acquaint themselves with the de-
tails of the subject before them)
would also help to place the respon-
sibility of any undue excise condi-
tons where it belongs. The public
would then be enabled to judge as to
whether the promises made before
election are carried out or not.
AS a rule, every board OF public
officers places the blame for any I'M
toward condition on the previous
, board. In this case it might be said
that the last board has been the
! party at fault in granting licenses to
saloons, whether good or bad. The
idea is that by making above changes
as to time expiration of licenses it
would give the Civic Union members
of the board time for thorough in
vestigation, and thus they could start
with the beginning of the fiscal year
1914 with a clean slate, so to speak,
for, since all of the saloon licenses
would have come before them by
that time. they would be directly re-
sponsible for all places licensed by
them.
OF course, the accomplishment of
a reform like this will take time, but
they will have a whole year in which
to do this. Anyhow, is it worth
while looking into?
There are many other phases of
the saloon question that might be