The star-independent. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1904-1917, 1915-03-16
CIBB0NY Local OPTION
ON COMPENSATION plan
Measure Prepared by President Of the
Law and Order Society of Philadel-
phia Is Introduced in House.
williams Bill Is Attacked

The Gibbony local option bill. en-
bodylng the compensation plan, was in.
troduced in the House last night by
Assemblyman W. w. Jones, of Lacka.
wanna. The bin was drown bv ID.
Clarence Gibbony, president Of the Law
and Order Society of Philadelphia.
Under his bill, elections by counties
ON the three-year limit plan are provid-
ed. When county goes dry, " how
ever, no existing license can be re-
voked without the licensee being com.
pensated by the county. The funds
for compensation are to come out of
the liquor license money. Gibbony
gave out statement defining the provi-
sions of his bill, in which he said:
This bill is local option measure
for the solution of the liquor problem
in Pennsylvania by county units. 1t is
far more equitable and effective pro.
posal than that contained in the Will
liams local option bill, and it is the
only self-exting fishing plan for the
abolition of the liquor traffic that has
been placed before the Legislature of
Pennsylvania.
"What this act proposes is to provide
a method by which the liquor business
can be abolished by counties on a ma
jority vote of the electorate, and under
which method the men who engaged in
the legalized liquor business shall be re-
imbursed for losses sustained in being
forced out of that business.
Attacks Williams Bill
"That is the principal difference
between this bill and the Williams To-
cal option bill. The latter makes 10
provisions whatever for compensation,
and the plan OF abolition it proposes is
nothing less than eonfiscation of prop.
erty legally acquired and legally held
by men engaged in a legaiized business.
"This bill provides that no new or
additional licenses shall be granted in
any county that has voted to abolish
the liquor business, and, on the other
hand, that no licenses that were in
force at the time such election was held
shall be revoked or their renewal re-
fused, except for malfeasanee of the
licensees, until such Lenses have been
compensated for on basis provided in
the measure. In the absence of any
such election directing prohibition, this
bill makes it illegal for any court of
quarter sessions to revoke or refuse to
renew any existing license, except for
proven violation of the law, and when
license is revoked or terminated for
such cause the court shall file or re-
cord its reasons for such action.
''This bill also provides that after
its passage the number of liquor Ii.
censes in cities of the first and second
class shall not be more than one for
each 1000 inhabitants, and in cities of
the third class shall not exceed one for
each 500 inhabitants. The courts shall
make the necessary reduction in number
of licenses upon the payment of com.
pensation, as provided for
In Law and Order Committee
The bill was sent to the House Law
and Order Committee. This committee
stood by Governor Brumbaugh by vot-
ing 13 to IL to withhold the report of
the administration local option bill un-
til some of the other legislation vas
disposed of.