The Detroit times. [volume] (Detroit, Mich.) 1903-1920, 1913-02-14
DINCEMAN HAS
FOUR PHONES
in RESIDENCE
Whole Family Kept on Hump
Answering Calls Relative
to Saloon Matters
ROUTED FROM BED
DOZEN TINES A NIGHT
Alderman Sure He Has Dis.
cussed Liquor Problem With
Half City's Population

Since his appointment as chair
man OF the liquor committee, Aid.
Harry Dingeman has been obliged TO
install four telephones in his home
The alderman declares that all four
bells ring almost continually. morn
Ing, noon and night. His telephone
calls average more than 80 a day.
People call him TO the telephone
early In the morning; they call him
late at night. They call him away
from his meals; they disturb him In
his office: they rout him out OF bed
dozen times a night.
II never thought so many people
were directly interested in the saloon
question: said the alderman, wear
lily. 'I'll bet | have already talked
to half the population OF Detroit on
the saloon question Why, IL keeps
everybody In the house constantly on
the jump TO answer telephone calls
I've given up trying 70 shave my
self. I'm getting SO nervous I'm
afraid | Will cut myself, even with a
safety razor.
II always had two telephones in
the house. but TO save my failing
strength ! had two more put in a
few weeks ago. Now I've got two
upstairs. one downstairs and one on
the stairway landing. When the
bells begin TO ring | simply lean
against the wall and use the nearest
telephone After battling with call
ers in my office and in tile city hal,
during the day ! don't always feel
in the rood 10 hold Iona converse
ton over the telephone ia the even
Ing.
People call me up and bawl me
out because | do not favor closing
all the saloons; they bawl me out for
wanting to cut too many Saloon
keepers and anti-saloon people are
constantly on the line.
For a first-year man in the COM
mon council | am having more than
my share OF eXperience-and
trouble"
Besides being a new alderman.
Dingeman is the second youngstef
member in the council. Aid. VIII
liam Hindle. 80 years old. Is just one
year nearer the cradle.
Chairman Dingeman says he has
formulated new rule not to discuss
committee affairs in public hereafter.
There are several other members
on the committee and IL they care
TO talk all we'll and good, but I'm
through" said the alderman.
THE res, Of the committee have
n
up to me, so that people now have
the impression that | am the one
responsible for every move the
liquor committee makes or contem-
plates. want il to be understood
that ! am chairman of the liquor
committee and not the whole COM
mittee
In a letter TO Aid. Dingeman, Pliny
w. Marsh. former attorney for the
Anti-Saloon league and now secre-
tary OF the Detroit Civic Uplift
league. outlines his plan for reducing
the number OF saloons by revoking
as Illegal every transfer of license
made after April. 1909, and repeats
the statement he made before the
liduor committee last Monday that
there are many brewery-dominated
saloons in Detroit. The common
council can refuse a license 10 such
applicants he says.
Marsh declares that the decision
OF the supreme court In the case OF
Ploof VS.. Bangor township clearly
defines a voluntary surrender" and
that previous liquor committees
granted illegal licenses because OF
the wrong construction OF the
statute. He holds the present liquor
committee responsible to correct the
mistakes made by the committee in
1910, 1911 and 1912.
Attorney Marsh answers Aid
Reinhardt's question as how TO de-
termine which licenses should be de-
MED as follows:
SALOONS in residence districts and
in close proximity to churches are
universally conceded TO be nuisance.
All applicants for license in such To-
cations should be refused. Saloons
in close proximity to manufacturing
plants are costing the manufacturers
of this city hundreds OF thousands OF
dollars in broken machinery, wasted
are Lowing a tax which causes un-
told distress TO women and children
bv taking from the workingmen the
money which should go to the sup
mort of their families To say that
they provide food and a place OF re-
creation Is no answer. These things
could and would be provided for a
fraction OF the levy made upon the
workingmen by the saloons In return
for this service. The brewery-dom-
mated saloon is conceded to be bad
institution by all students OF the
question. II is freely and frequently
charged that despite the lay against
this there are many such in Detroit.
Your committee could well investi-
gate and ascertain the truth or fall
sity OF this charge, and, II found TO
he true. could refuse a license to
every such applicant. BY following
this course you could easily reach
the ratio required by the statute. and
even go below that