Newark evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1909-1916, 1913-07-10
DANCE HALL VIEWS
\ VARY AT HEARING
License Committee Asks Legal
Advice on Holy Name Pro-
posed Regulations.

The law department of the city will
be asked for an opinion of the pro-
posed ordinance for the regulation
land licensing of dance halls which
has been presented by the Holy Name
Society. A public hearing on the
matter was held last night before
the license committee of the Common
Council, when several speakers de-
clared that the special policemen at
the halls gave practically no assist
ance toward abolishing the immoral
features in these places. The propo-
sition to raise the license fee from
4 the present amount of $500 was also
discussed by hall owners and musi-
clans.
1t is expected that the committee
will have secured advice from the
law department concerning the pro-
posed ordinance when the next meet
ing is held. Definite action may be
taken at that time.
License Fec Too High.
Several members of a special COM
mittee from the Essex Trades Council
entered objections to the amount OF
the license, claiming that 1t would
drive a large number of small halls
out of business that were used Tor
family gatherings. weddings social
parties and by clubs and beneficial
Organizations In speaking Of the
regulation of halls and the eliminat-
] ing of the admitted Objectionable fea-
lures, Henry J. Lohse said:
what is needed is good efficient
police supervision and not a lot OF
DULLES now hired by the dance halls
that are wilfully blind to things that
happen" He further suggested that
the special police be under the d.
rect charge of the precinct captains,
that when the proprietor of q hall
wanted one or more men for q night
they would be assigned to the work by
the captain and paid by the hall
owner. This, he claimed, would make
the specials independent and not sub
servient to the proprietor.
Il MUSICIANS Enter Protest.
Fl Representing the musicians union,
tmes Prendergast said that by driv-
AIsg out the small halls it would prac-
tically put his union out of business,
and he averred that halls where the
Greatest immortality flourished could
and would pay as high as $1,000
license fee. Similar remarks were
made by Morris S. Alexander, also
Of the trades council.
A surprise was sprung on almost all
present when Hubert A. Rowe, repre-
senting the Holy Name Society, gave
the definition. according to the pro-
posed ordinance, of a public dance |
hall. He said it was constituted by |
ANY place where dances were held on |
property where a liquor license was |
issued. Dances held in halls where
no drinks were served in the same
building We're, according to his inter-
pretation, free from all license.
He claimed the object of the $500
fee was to drive out the dives that
existed in rooms back of small bar
sooms That the difference in opin-
-4ea as to the amount of fee charged
could possibly be adjusted to the sat-
isfaction Of all, was stated by John
l.. O'Toole and James P. McKenna,
speaking in behalf of the church So
ciety.
William H. Sagurton, Of the Palace
Dance Hall, believed that all places
should come under the ordinance
whether they sold liquor or not. He
claimed that an inspector who would
do his duty in enforcing the sections
of the ordinance would be all that
was required to put all places on
a plane of responsibility.