The Detroit times., 1912-05-08
ALDERMEN VOTE TO PERMIT
M'CURDY SALOON TO KEEP
ON ANNOYING CHURCH
pat" O'Brien Heads light For
Rum-Shop and IL Easy
Victor, p To 20
COMFORT FOR THOMPSON
Accountancy Ordinance Which
Would Take Patronage From
Mayor Is RecolsiGered

Aid Patrick O'Brien, OF the Tenth
ward. saloonkeeper, succeeded in
having the council allow George w.
McCurdy, Jr., license to continue
his saloon at No. 90l Fourteenth-ave.,
adjoining st. Barnabas church, Tues
day night. Seldom has a saloon
keeper found such champion in the
council as McCurdy found in O'Brien.
Since the council In special session
last week voted to grant McCurdy
a license, O'Brien worked overtime
to beat the church people who had
Aid Owen and Vernon move to re-
consider the vote. O'Brien spoke to
all the aldermen whom he thought
he could influence in the matter and
he pleaded like lawyer for McCurdy
whenever he met his colleagues
about the city hall.
O'Brien spoke for about FIVE min
utes in the council meeting. Tuesday
night. He said the church people
had been unfair in their demands
and that McCurdy's saloon had been
established before the church was
built
Some of these fanatics would like
to see us put all saloons out OF bust
ness that are near church, said
Mr. O'Brien.
Aid. Owen, Vernon and Lodge made
speeches against granting the license.
while Aid. Lynch, a saloonkeeper.
heartily indorsed Mr.. O'Brien's senti.
ments. Aid. Owen and Heating de
clared that O'Brien was in error when
he said the saloon was established
before the church.
"It is very evident that the church
people and McCurdy cannot agree"
said Mr.. Lodge. One must move
from the locality. II is up to you to
say which, the church or the saloon
McCurdy and his friends sat at the
left Of the council chamber, the Rev.
Paul Zeigler and his friends sat at
the right. The Rev. rM. Zeigler pre-
sented a petition to oust the saloon,
signed by nine persons. .gMcCurdy
had petition signed by tHe business
men in the vicinity OF Gtand River
and Fourteenth-ayes., In favor OF
clerk had read about score OF
names from this petition when
O'Brien moved that further reading
be dispensed with, waving his hand
as. though the evidence were suf
fioiently convincing.
Following was the vote on the
motion TO reconsider: Ayes--Ald
Brozo. Field, Heating, Littlefeld,
lodge, Owen, Schultz, Vernon. Walsh,
Grindley.-10.
Nays-Ald Allan, Deimel, Ellis,
Garvey, Gilman, Gutman, Harpfer.
Hindle, Keusch. Koenig, Knapp,
Lynch, McCarty, Merritt, OBrien,
Ostrowski. Rosenthal, Skrzycki,
Theisen Tossy. Watson, Zoeller.-22.
Absent: Thompson, Burton and
Mason.
There was no debate on the recon
sideration of the accountancy ordi-
nance. the council voting unanimous
~ on the motion OF Aid. John Gar
vey to refer il back to committee.
Mayor Thompson's announcement
that he would veto the ordinance and
his declaration that the council was
playing petty politics did the trick.
The council allowed Secretary
Eddie" Schreiter, s125, and his
stenographer, SIS. for overtime work
ior the liquor regulation committee.
The council approved Commissioner
Haarer's contract with tbs United
States Wood Preserving Co, for sup
plying the city with about 100000
worth OF creosote wood paving block.