The Detroit times., 1913-01-07
ISALOONKEEPER
SLATED TO HEAD
LIQUOR BOARD
Aid. Knapp Said to Have Prom
Use of Important Commit
tee Chairmanship
COUNCIL PRESIDENT
EMBARRASSED NOW
Would Gig Back" on Promise
on Learning Prospective APP
pointee Is Rum Seller

What does Dlngeman know about
the saloons OF Detroit? I'm familiar
with the situation. / know what
saloons are desirable and what are
undesirable. Maybe my ideas wont
agree with those of the police depart
ment, but I've seen service on the
liquor regulation committee of the
council and | know what conditions
are"
Thus spoke Fred w. Knapp, alder
man from the Eleventh ward, stand
ing in his saloon and cafe in the
basement OF the Gayety theater. He
had been asked to state his position
as chairman OF the liquor regulation
committee of the new council which
will take its seat Jan. IA. II having
been tipped off that the place is TO
so to him.
II won't talk about my policy until
liz is announced that I'm to be chair
man of that committee" he said Il
don't know whether I'll be chairman
or not"
And that is perfectly true. AID.
Burton, president-elect OF the new
council, was asked by Knapp TO ap.
point him chairman of the. liquor
regulation committee, and in view OF
his service on that committee, Presl.
dent Burton had thought him good
man for the place. Then Aid Knapp,
who is a clgarmaker at No. 207 Water.
loo-st, and a furniture dealer under
the firm name of Selak Knapp. at
No. 500 Gratiot-ave.. opened the raths-
keller under the Gayety theater and
became a saloonkeeper. Whereupon
Aid. Burton was greatly embarrassed,
for he did not want saloonkeeper
at the head OF the liquor regulation
committee. The report is current
that he has asked%Krapp TO release
him from his promise, and that Knapp
has refused TO do so; and Aid Burton
is man who does not pledge his
word lightly
Come around on Jan. 10, and IL I've
been made chairman OF the committee
I'll talk about my policy" said Aid.
Knapp. But IL you print anything f
haven't said, | won't talk TO you at
all"
The most remarkable statement
made by Aid. Knapp in the course Of
/ the few remarks which he did drop
anent the saloon situation in Detroit
was
| The liquor regulation committee
! last year did all IL could &c put the
undesirable saloons out OF business.
Do YOU mean to say, he was ash.
! ed. that a license was refused every
saloon against which the police &c.
ipartment brought complaint as an az
desirable"
! No, that was not what Aid Knapp
meant. He explained that what the
police department considers un1esir-
able may be an entirely different
thing from what the liquor regulation
committee believes unfit to do bust.
ness. He supplemented his remark
/ IF / am chairman OF the commit
\ tee. | will follow out the law in every
particular"
4 That was az far as Aid. Knapp
would go toward outlining his policy.
I His reference TO Aid. Dingeman was
drawn by a remark that Dingeman
had been mentioned as a probable
head OF the committed in case Presi
dent Burton were released from mis-
promise.
: Ald.-elect Barnett said; Il was ask.
/ ed TO serve on the liquor regulation
committee and refused. ! won't have
anything to do with IL. II did have
10 serve on that committee, | know
plenty of places that wouldn't get my
/ vote when the question OF granting
Ia license came up"