The Forest Republican. [volume] (Tionesta, Pa.) 1869-1952, 1912-02-14
LIQUOR DEALERS
ANx|OUSLY WAIT
Much Depends On Action Of
License Court.
NEW CASTLE DRY ONE YEAR
Both Sides Put Up Strong Arguments.
Each viii Present Witnesses.
Flfty-two Applicants to
Be Considered.

NeW CdSlle, Ha.-beRlnnlnR on
Monday, when Judge William e. Por
ter OF the Lawrence county bench,
convenes License Court, the writing
of another chapter in the history o.
the county will have been started. Ii
marks the beginning of the end of a
bitter campaign fought with but one
object in view-whether or not Law
renee county shall give shelter to the
licensed saloon and hotel bar. Ar
rayed on one side have been minis
ters, members of the Pennsylvania
anti-Saloon League, the Women's
Christian Temperance Union and
their friends; opposing them the
hotel and saloon proprietors and those
who believe in licensed, rather than
unlicensed, places
Apparently unconscious of the
struggle that has drawn into it men
of the two principal political parties,
leaning neither to one side or the
other, but content in the belief that
his doctrine offers the only real solu
tion to the troublesome question,
stands Walter V. Tyler, the Socialist
mayor of this city.
For almost one year, or since April
l, 1911, there has not been a drop of
liquor sod legally in Lawrence coun-
ty, excepting that sold for medicinal
purposes, and the chartered clubs, of
which there are quite number here.
A peculiar situation, though, lies in
the fact that while saloons are barred,
New Castle has been the home OF
the Standard Brewing Company,
which has continued business during
the drouth. This it has been able to
do through the medium of an Ohio
state license, and by sending its pro-
duct to nearby Ohio town for distri-
button. In the future, however, the
brewing company expects to be able
to do business under a Pennsylvania
license.
Whether the no-saloon question has
wreaked harm to the business inter-
ests of Lawrence county is an open
question. The hotel proprietors of
the city have suffered heavily. Mute
evidence to this is testified to by the
number of ho,els that have been
forced out of business during the year,
The hotel men who have survived
are planning to quit If licenses are
refused this year. That New Castle
has not been so dry since the legal
drought was inaugurated is borne out
by the statement that in the days
preceding Christmas $4,000 worth of
liquor was shipped into the city.
"One dry goods merchant reported
an increase in sales of 164 per cent
over last year; another said collec-
tions have gained, business Is good;
/ want to keep up dry condition,
while. two others declared business
was not as good as it was. Meat
dealers and general merchants made
statements to the effect that business
was good and bills were paid more reg
ularly. The total arrests for five
months in 1910 numbered 1,O79 whilo
for five months in 1911 the arrests
numbered 55l This is for the city.
The cost of boarding prisoners in the
county Jail during the same. number
of months was $1,611.40 in 1910, while
in 1911 it was but s7S750 For the
first time in 25 years, during the first
week of September, 1911, there was
not single case of desertiCn or non
support to be heard. Wife beating
has decreased 80 per cent since sa-
looms left us, while intoxicated men
are now rarely seen on the streets, it
is claimed.
Against the argument that busl-
ness mon declare conditions good, the
other side states that there has been
a great falling off in the number OF
remonstrances; that many merchants
have willingly gone on their appiica-
tions, while travelling men have as
serted that the town is a dead one.'
Taking the word of the police, the
town is full of speak-eisies, some of
them of the lowesl order, one assert
ing that to raid all the speak oasies
he would need 10 times the number OF
men the city has at present.
To the figures showing fewer ar
rests, the advocates of the saloon say
that the reason for 1t is due to the
tact that those who made it habit
to become intoxicated to go to other
towns, get their liquor there and go
10 fill their jails,
A small army of witnesses has
been summoned to appear in License
Court. Fifty-two applications are to
tack on Parliament and genera.
cants and their indorsers the temper.
ance people will launch l4,O7S re