The Detroit times., 1914-04-10
LODGE TO FIGHT
FOR PLAN TO PUT
CURB ON SALOONS

ferson. Michigan. Grand River. Ora,
tiot and woodward-aves.. no transfers
granted to any locations unless a ma
jority of the owners or occupants
Of property within 400 feet Of the
front door of the proposed saloon ex.
press their willingness for a change
THAT 70 fair ordinance, be-
licve," says Aid. Lodge. 1T will keep
saloons out of residence districts
where they are not wanted, and con
fine them to business streets.
"I have received many commenda
tiers for introducing this ordinance
The Methodist and Presbyterian cler
~ are solid for 1t, and letters have
come to me from members of other
churches. declaring that their support
will be accorded the ordinance.
have even received letter from an
attorney who maintains that saloons
may be suppressed as nuisances. This
is q radical opinion for a lawyer, but
II don't know but he's right. The
courts have held that the liquor bust
ress can be regulated as a dangerous
business Cur laws so recognize Il
I'm regard to the other ordinance
7 have always held that the spirit OF
the Warner-Cramton law Is that the
number Of saloon licenses granted
each year should be one to every 500
OF the existing population. II De
trcit's population should increase to
l ZOO. 900 In 1920. as II bids fair to do
that would mean that the city would
be entitled to 1000 saloons in that
year. But I have been told, unofYicial
ly, by the corporation counsel's ONCE
that the federal census is the only fig
ure we may take, In deciding how
many licenses ought TO be issued I'M
der tho Warner-Cramton law. That
shuts out the water board estimate
which has always proven accurate
and the directory estimate.
"The saloon licenses left, after the
LIQUOR regulation committee finishes
its work. this spring. will number
about 1,400. In the spirit OF the War
ner-C ramtOn law. as ! take II. this
means that the number of saloons
would be proportionate to a popula
tion of 100000. Well, our population
ID not &C very far short OF that figure:
and I do not know but it would be az
we'll to leave our number OF saloons
ct 400 or under. az each year cuts
down the list a little. until 1920
rather than reduce the number OF
licenses to 931 and then suddenly
double the number after the next fed
eral census"
There Is little chance OF the pas
sage Of the 931 ordinance. Some aid
ermen estimate that IL votes can be
mustered for 1t; others say that no,
more than half dozen would sup
pert 1t.
Saloonkepers themselves are prais
Ing Aid. Lodge for his efforts. The
following 10 part Of letter which the
alderman received recently
As am In the saloon business,
you may think 1t little funny
for me to write you about mat.
ters | will try to explain below.
IL you would Gull out the gam
bling hells OF saloons, 1t would be
no Job at Ill. Ohio done 1t. Here
] will draw your attention to the
cigar stands of the down town
digtrict. one of the hell-breeding
gambling places for the young
cigarette nend. How can a cigar
stand stand to lose as high a.
300 in q day, and not $50 Of
stock in the whole place, and
then brag OF being the winner of
$3.50 the same day? First the
cigar stand. then the pool room.
then to highway robbery or white
slavery.
Those sheets petty gambling
devices), you find on cigar stands
IL q bait. nothing less than 20
to l against the goat. Slot ma
chimes are never In Il, at their
best have been In business 10
years, and never had q dice boz
o. card In my place. l am sure
that other men In this business
can do the same. Do away with
gambling and blind pigs and So
called Clubs" and give us reason
able regulation and special priv
i!ege to none, and our business
W0uld ho nm q mar NTH thar al