The Detroit times., 1914-05-22
LODGE HOPES
FOR VICTORY in
LATEST BATTLE
Promised Support in Effort to
Put Whole City Under Wat
son Ordinance
NOT DISCOURAGED
BY PREVIOUS FAILURES
Attempts to Regulate Saloons
Have Had Educational Value,
He Says

Aid Lodge is not a bit discouraged
by the hearty way in which the com
mon council defeated his saloon re-
striction ordinance, last Tuesday
evening, by a vote OF 27 TO eight.
THAT was the third regulating or
dinance which | have introduced; !
expected IL TO be defeated. but even
the defeat was valuable" said AID
Lodge Friday morning, THE ordi'
nance caused a great deal OF argu.
ment OF an educational nature, and
there must be more education before
attempts at regulation are successful
MY ordinance of a year ago, limit
ing the number OF saloons TO the num-
Der permitted by the Warner-Cramton
law, received only seven votes, so ]
gained at least one vote this year
Ny other ordinance, putting the whole
First ward in the restricted district
carried only after hard fight, and
after being held up long time by
the liquor regulation committee.
NO restricting or regulating ordi-
nance can be introduced without
arousing the brewers interests TO
fight il. | think that the power oil
the brewers is largely bluff; ! don
believe that they are as influential as
they say they are, but there seem TO
be plenty OF aldermen who belive
that the brewers can defeat them II
they dare 10 oppose the wishes OF the
liquor interests. II may take consid-
erable time TO show some OF the al.
dermen that the influence of the
brewers, which they esteem SO highly,
Is Of very little moment.
"The main fact of encouragement
is the gradual change in the attitude
of people In general toward the use
OF liquor. Our committee hearings
brought to the city hall number oil
manufacturers who argued against
the existence OF too many saloons on
the ground that they destroy eff
cheney Four or five years ago, there
was little public discussion of that
point, but now the opposition OF the
employers OF labor Is open, and their
arguments are pointed. Indulgence
in liquor hampers the efficiency or
the employe; the employer cannot
afford to hire such a man; and TO
assist the employe, the temptation to
drink should be lessened
I'm not a prohibitionist, but | do
believe that we have too many sa-
looms. don't believe that the saloon,
as the workingman's club, can be
abolished while the private club OF
the well-to-do is allowed to exist. The
main reason that Flint elected a So
cialist mayor two or three years ago,
was the fact that the employees OF the
big plants found out that their en-
ployers were against the saloon for
the workingman, but secured all they
wanted to drink themselves, from
private sources We don't want any
such situation to arise in Detroit
"The plan on which I am working
at present is the framing and intro
duction OF an ordinance 10 put the
whole city under the Watson ordi-
nance. That would mean that no sa-
loonkeeper could secure the transfer
of a license unless both aldermen OF
the ward into which he wished TO
move sanctioned the transfer. The
two aldermen would have to appear
before the liquor regulation commit
tee of the common council and say
that the transfer was all right Peo-
ple of the district affected by the
transfer could go TO their aldermen
and protest against the move, and II
would be absolutely up TO their alder
men whether to allow the transfer or
not. Several aldermen have said
they would vote in favor OF such a
plan. and by introducing the ordl-
nance shall merely take them at
their word"