Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1913-05-31
ALDERMEN VOTE
u FOR LOW LICENSE
Refuse to Concur With
Common Council on Raise
Of Liquor Dealers.
DEADLOCK RESULTS.
DEADLOCK RESULTS
Bill is Amended by Vote of 5 to p
Long Debate at Last Nights Meet
ing of Upper Board. e

The Board of Aldermen ait theit
meeting last night refused to concur
with the Common Council in increas-
ing the license taxes for the sale of
liquor in this city one hundred dol
lars and after amending the first nine
sections of the ordinance by placing
the amounts at the figure Of last year,
passed it by vote of to 2.
On eight of the sections Messrs.
Hill, Brill, Ballenger, fitzgerald and
President Marbury voted against the
increases, and Messrs. Field and Og-
den voted for the bill as presented
by the committee.
When section making the license
tax $3.50 for the sale of malt liquors
by wholesale was read, motion 10
place the sum at $3.50 as formerly was
made by Mr.. Hill. The vote stood:
,Ayss, Messrs. Hill, Brill, Fitzgerald
and Mr.. President--4. Noes, Messrs.
Ballenger, Field and Ogden.-3.
The board was called to order a
few minutes past 8 o'clock. A few
spectators appeared outside the bar.
The bill having been read the sec
ond time az the last meeting, was
open for amendments, and the clerk
began it's reading for the third time.
Section 1, placing the license tax at
s275 upon dealers in liquor by whole
sale, was read, and when Mr.. Hill
arose and said he was not at the
meeting of the committee on finance
when the ordinance was finally passed
upon, and he Thought those interested
in the liquor business should have
been given proper notice Of the inten-
ton of the committee 20 report in ia
vor of increasing the license tax upon
all dealers in liquor $100 so that they
could relinquish the business should
they find they were unable to meet the
increased expense. Dealers had paid
$3.50 20 the state which sum would be
forfeited should they fail to procure
city license. Some would have un-
doubtedly retired from the business
had they known the city contemplated
making this increase. He moved that
the license tax be placed at the form
or figure.
The amendment was adopted =
Messrs. Hill, Brill, Ballenger, Fit
g;rald and President Marbury voting
ave, and Messrs. Field and Ogden, no.
After section 2, placing the license
TAX to sell liquors by retail a tS23O
instead of $50, as formerly had been
read, Mr.. Brill said that while hav-
ing no thought for private business,
he regarded the proposed increase as
unjust and an imposition upon those
engaged in saloon business. Such
were already taxed to the limit. While
he would not attempt to speak for
others, he was acquainted with his
own financial conditions. Continuing,
he said rhe Board of Aldermen would
;ncur the odium of holding up the
ordinance for the reason that it had
conveniently been placed before the
Common Council first, otherwise the
blame would have been placed upon
the lower board. Mr.. Brill INSISTED
that the assertion that Petersburg
I.vnchburg and other Virginia cities
paid more for the privilege OF selling
liquor in Alexandria was Illogical al
those places were larger anc conai
tions by no means similar Saloons
were scattered in Alexandra. nj
speaker alluded Ito the oft repeated
assertion that high license Woulo
freeze out such places as regarded a
disreputable. This he denied by ap
pealing to the fact that the proprie
tors of such places are generally mrs
in paying their license taxes whn
those conducting other places, wher
additional expenses were incurred, eS
perienced greater difficulty in meet
ing their obligations to the state an
city. He charged that the propogand
being waged for prohibitive licens
taxes was in the interest of the stat
wide prohibition crusade. Mr.. Bri
asked Mr.. Field, chairman of the t
nance committee, to explain the ne
departure by which the license bi