The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1913-04-11

brewery investigating committee is
entitled an act Ito prohibit any per-
son, corporation or association en-
gagged in the manufacturing, dis
tributing or wholesaling of intoxcat-
ing liquors from being either direct
lily or indirectly engaged in or con-
trolling the retail sale thereof"
The bill makes it unlawful for any
corporation, association or others en-
gagged in the manufacturing or whole
sailing of liquor to be interested
either directly or indirectly in any re-
| tail liquor license, to assist in pro.
curing such a license for ANYBODY
or to engage or become interested in
the retail liquor business. 1t then
provides that it shall be unlawful for
any wholesaler to construct for, or
| hereafter let or lease to any person
! directly or indirectly, under any pre-
text whatever any building, room,
shed, apartment, structure or place
on, or in which to conduct the sale
of any distilled, fermented, spurious,
vinous or malt liquors, except by
pie or held as lessee under lease
for term of ninety-nine years"
On Cash Basis.
1t is in this last provision that
friends of temperance have found
that the bill is not what they deemed
| it to be. The bill would prohibit the
leasing for saloon purposes of prop
erty held by the brewing companies
on leases, but it would not prevent
| them from leasing to saloOnkeepers
property owned by them or. held on
Inmety-nlne-year leases BreWerieS
owning property in Minneapolis may
continue to lease saloons, but they
must lease on cash basis and the
leases must contain no clause limit
ing the saloonkeeper to the sale of
any particular brand of liquor The
brewers maintain that TO 60 farther
IMAM TINS Would be unconstitutional,
but members of the legislature said
today that they have Attorney Ger
eral Lyndon A. Smiths opinion taat
the legislature can pass vali9 law
prohibiting Wholesale liquor dealers
from leasing for saloon purposes
property owned by them, Mr. Smith
is in Washington, ID. G.
Under the bill as passed, accord
ing to Senator F. e. Putnam and
other legislators a brewing company
can keep the .&hiphand over the re-
taller by m3king shortterm leases,
! placing in tnem cancellation clauses
and telling the saloonkeeper if he
does not 'behave" the lease will be
cancelled.
Gives Plenty of Time.
( In AIIifinn
papes until January, 1914, to buy
property which can be leased for
saloon purposes, as the bill does not
iro into effect until January 1, 1914.
the bill also provides that the law
shall not apply to leases executed
prior to March 1, 1913, which expire
before March l., 1916, and as to
leases made prior to March 1, 1914,
which expire after March l, 1916.
1t shall not apply until March l.,
| 1916.
The transformation in the legisla-
ture concerning the bill is shown by
the action of Representative r. L.
| klemer who is one of the house
leaders in the fight against brewery
ownership. Mr.. Klemer believes that
the breweries can be prohibited from
leasing for saloon purposes property
they own, and he has bill in the
house which would prohibit councils
| from granting retail licenses for prop
erty ''owned or controlled" by the
| brewing companies. Today Mr.
Klemer told Mr.. Putnam, chairman
of the house committee, he believed
| the senate bill satisfactory, but this
was before he learned of the clause
| III the senate bill which will permit
leasing for saloon purposes of prop
erty owned by brewing companies.