The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1913-03-27
LIQUOR DEALERS STRONGLY OPPOSE
 KINGS MEASURE
Attorney Gray Makes Plea for Increase of License from
 $45O to $75O
Bill Is Characterised as Orphan, With None to Shoulder Re- SpOnsibilify for Its Pro-
 visions
Ry Our Staff Cores. }

SsI
 Hartford, March 27-The Excise committee heard yesterday reasons why the bill introduced by Represen- tative Clitus H. King of Fairfield in creasing the cost of liquor licenses from s450 to $750. a raise of $500 per annun, should become a law. They also heard, and in uncertain argu- ments. why it should not.
 Attorney John P. Gray, of Bridge port, who is associated with Repre- sentative King in the practice of law in that city, appeared in favor of the forcefuI talk in advocacy of the bill which he defined as a business meas ure pure and simple, one designed to increase the taxable revenue of the towns and cities of the State. MT. Gray said that the bill was drawn for the city of Bridgeport where it was favored by manufacturers He told of in the increased value of liquor licenses since the law was passed some years ago liking their present price, and he believed in view of their rapidly growing value that the towns and cities should receive a larger rev enue from them.
 The bill was. opposed by Attorneys Jacob B. Klein of Bridgeport, and David Fitzgerald of New Haven, and Frank H. Quinn, Thomas E.. Fftzsim- mons and Frederick W. Orr of New H. H. Spooner of Kensington, who ap- pears in the interests of the temper ance forces of the State. MT. Spoon CTS opposition was evidently unex- pected, and somewhat of a surprise to Attorney Gray.
 Attorney J. B. Klein told the com mittee that he didn't deem the bill worthy of their serious considera tion, and he didn't propose to take up the committees valuable time with any extended remarks in relation to It. He said if he thought the committee really considered it worthy of serious attention he would spend some time diIating upon it's shortcomings. He preferred to dismiss it with the re- mark that it was like an orphan with out father or mother, without any re- sponsibIe business interest in city or town, nor had the people of any city or town in the State requested it. It emanated from no taxpayers Alto gether it was lonesome little bill that he did not believe should be re. gart1ed in the same light as many of the serious measures now pending.
 He said the idea that it was 2, tax measure, was, to him, a joke lie was quite sure that the city Of Bridge port had asked no one to prepare such a bill for it, and he knew of no man ufacturer in Bridgeport who favored it on the ground that it would increase the revenue from taxation, and, as MT. Gray assumed, thereby result Tn decrease in the tax rate, which in turn would result in bringing more manufacturers to Bridgeport.
 Mir Orr was most eloquent in his opposition. He said that the measure was one which bordered dangerously upon class legislation. He pointed out what he deemed the most glaring de- feet in the measure, to wit: that its provisions included only those cities in the State containing a, population of 5000 or over- He asked if it was fair that the retail liquor dealer in a city doing far less business than a dealer in the small town should be compelled to pay s4o0 year more.
 "Why this discrimination he ask ed against a man who is licensed to do business in the city, in favor of the man who enjoys the same priviI ege in the towns of less than 15.000 population?" He dwelt briefly upon the fact hat the liquor dealers as class were subjected to more annoy ances and are the objects Of more discriminatory legislation than any other class of citizens in Connecticut. Why not go down into the vaults of the cities of the State,'' he inquir-