Pine Bluff daily graphic., 1913-11-14
LIQUOR FIGHT IS COMING TO A HEAD Supporters of Licensed Sa- looms Say they Have More
 Than a Majority CENSUS IS T A K E N Burden On Saloon Men-COunty Judge May Take Government Census
 As Basis.
CENSUS IS T A K E N

Pine Bluffs first liquor fight, which will in all probability be con- ducted annually unless the Going aAtisaloon bill is eventuahy re- | pealed, and the result Of which will l determine whether Pine Bluff is to have saloons in 1914. is now we'll | under way. For weeks petitions have been circulated by friends of | the liquor interests, business men who favor license, and the liquor | men themselves. They have met with 1 much success and it is claimed now that they have more than majority of the signatures of the white adults l of Pine Bluff and that all names were signed by the petitioners them selves and sworn to by those who secured their names.
 The anti-saloon workers are said | to be taking a census of the city in order to determine to their satsfac- tion the number of adult white resi- dents of Pine Bluff and to, if pos sible resist the efforts of the license advocates 10 secure dramshop licen- ses for 1914 in the county court
 Whether this census is being taken with any degree of accuracy has not been announced, but it is known that homes have been visited by the anti saloon workers who are questioning housewives and others as to the number of adult residents, etc.
 It is most likdly that County Judge 'Philpot will put the burden of de- termining majority on the liquor people, Just what basis is to be used in order to ascertain what might be | majority of the white adults of the city has not been made known, but it is generally understood that the county judges in other counties where similar contests arel to be
 aired in the county courts, have an-
 nounced that the government census
 figures of 1910 are to be cited, al-
 lowing slight increase, according
 to the government estimate, for the three years that have elapsed since
 the taking of the 1910 government census.
 Mayor Simon Bloom, who has
 always been known as license man
 rather than taking chance on what
 he terms might result in lawlessness
 and blind tigers. if saloons were
 eliminated but who has emphatically
 stated that the law would be rigidly
 enforced in Pine Bluff if the saloons
 are closed January 1, is said to have expressed himself in recent weeks
 that he would insist on the complete
 elimination of negro saloons on Main
 street and. if possible. fewed negro
 saloons next year. The greatest
 amount of trouble has been ex-
 perienced by the city officials in l maintaining order in some of the
 negro saloons of the city. and the
 Mayor is said to be desirous of talk ing every negro saloon from Main
 street, in order to keep large num-
 bers of negroes from gathering on
 it's much traversed sidewalks on
 Saturdays and during some of the week days, which inconvenience
 pedestrians and especially ladies' Mayor Bloom has always been a
 "liberal'' in the matter of dram
 shop license and has never favored prohibition and especially after the
 state voted for local option at the
 1912 election. He has emphatically
 stated, however, that should Pine
 Bluff be dry" next year there would
 be no complaint from prohibitionists, for he intends to enforce the law as
 1t has never been enforced before. All club rooms and lodges will come
 under the anti-liquor edict if saloons are not permitted here.
 The. city council, majority of the members of which body are openly in favor of the license saloon, will in all probability take some action
 before the saloon contest comes be- fore Judge Philpot. This body will. 1t is said. fix time for the closing of saloons each night-most likely from il p. m. to a. m.-and set | o}9.ar et,fns for their 0nerafiOn.