Perth Amboy evening news., 1913-01-06
P. A. PETERSON
HAS PLANS FOR
EXCISE REFORM
CONTINUED from page IL

reduction in the number of saloons.
1 am thoroughly in sympathy with
that sentiment, but the great ques-
ton for you Is, how shall you go
about it in order to do justice to
all? Looking over the field. l find
! that there Is but little difference
between the average saloon keeper
as far as outward appearance goes.
There may be saloon keepers who
seemingly are conducting their bust
ness in a lawful manner and yet, II
| we knew all the facts, they may be
| carrying on their business in a wick
| ed way. II you cut out n saloon
| and leave the other, what reason can
you give by way of explanation here!
| Surely you do not intend to use per-
| sonal favoritism because that Is not
| only unjust to the saloon keeper,
| but 1t Is against the very spirit of
| your oath On the other hand You
can not consider the interest of
the property owner, in whose place
| the saloon is located, at the expense
Of the public morals. You were not
elected to look out for the interest
of the saloon keepers not any indt-
vidual property owner, but to furtn-
err the interests of the city at large.
The saloon owner, when he ventures
to buy a saloon is taking a chance
that the saloon business may sooner
or later be discontinued. He knows
this because the licenses are only
granted for n year at a time. The
J saloon keeper is also well aware that
his license may or may not be re-
newed at the expiration Of the year.
know that sentiment in favor OF
the saloon keeper and property
owners has been used as an excuse
rather than an argument in granting
a license. Such condition of affairs
ought not continue. However, you
should do justice to all.
There is also a very strong senti-
ment prevailing in the community,
and rightly so, that a liquor dealer,
who sells liquor to a person who is
either a habitual drunkard Or who
by drinking deprives his family Of
the necessities of life, should lose
his license. This sentiment is in
strict accord with Justice. If the liq-
uor dealer cannot make a living ex-
cept on the misfortunes Of his fell
. low citizens, we will all do better
off without him. Therefore the
rules and the ordinance of the excise
board should be SO framed that a
\ liquor dealer must not sell liquor,
after due and prescribed notice, to
any person at the request Of his
family; and that in case he does vio-
late this rule, he should lose his IL
cense. The present rules of the ex-
else board only prescribed a fine of
twenty or twenty-five dollars for the
violation of same. That is not only
inadequate but evasive. If a liquor
dealer can make hundreds of dollars
by violating the law, he will not
mind paying twenty-five dollars, by
way of fine, every TO- and then.
The admission of ome as pat
rons and as attendants to the front
and back room of the saloon Is not
only a great injury to them, but to
the community at large. The vast
majority of the people are respecta-
BILE and desire, notwithstanding all
their failures and infirmities, to do
right. 1t is a great annoyance fol-
these people to see somebody else's
sisters, wives and daughters walk on
a road which DON or later must
lead to destruction. Therefore wo-
men should be excluded entirely as
patrons as we'll as attendants, from
the saloon.
l do not believe that I have
thought of everything hat can be
suggested by way of improvement,
but you are, l hope, always open to
conviction.
Great many people believe that
the true solution of the liquor prob
lem, under the present state laws,
lies in the reduction of the number
of licenses. I have heretofore stated
that l do not favor a decrease in the
number OF saloons, but I do not
think that the indiscriminate cut
ting down of licenses is the true So
luton under the present law. We
believe that the rue solution is to
make the saloon keeper obey the
law, and this means that a great
many saloons will die a natural
death, either voluntarily or by rev
o~cation OF their licenses for their
failure to comply with the law.
There is a strong sentiment In the
community among the property
owners, which favors high licenses
for the purpose of revenue. 1t is
misfortunate that well meaning peo-
pie should desire saloons and high
licenses for the purpose OF revenue
only; for the sake of saving a few
dollars yearly by way of taxation.
Nevertheless you are bound as pub
lie officials to respect that sentiment
until the public can be led to see
that the income received from that
source does not do the public much
good. Therefore the licenses ought
to be raised from $3.50 to $3.50 or
$500 per year. l do not propose this
as a money making scheme, but
rather for the sake of convenience.
I recommend this because l fully be-
lieve that a number of saloon keep
ers will voluntarily go out Of bust
ness during the year Oh be forced out