The Democratic banner. (Mt. Vernon, Ohio) 1898-192?, 1915-02-12


Therefor q state Excise commIs-
sioner, to Be- Appointed by the Gov.
ernor-elII by Another Senator
Modifiss Green Anttsereen Act.
Columbus, Feb. 9.--Radical changes
X the Ohio liquor licensing system
are proposed In the bill introduced in
the senate by Senator John L. Nc
Dermott Of Trumbull county, chair.
man Of the senate temperance COM
mittee. 1t is the administration de
centralization" measure and has a dry
leaning.
The state liquor license commits
sion, now composed of three men,
bers appointed by the governor, sal
sry $4,000 each, is superseded under
the McDermott bill by a state excise
or license commissioner, appointed
by the governor, salary $4,000, His
duties are to see that the license law
is enforced. He may summon the as
sistance Of inspectors and fix their
salaries.
Instead of license boards being ap-
pointed for all wet counties by the
state commission the staet is divided
into thirty-three license districts.
Each is composed of two or more
counties, excepting Hamilton ami
Cuyahoga counties. In each there
are to be two commissioners of op-
posite politics elected from different
counties by the county clerks Of nine
larger districts, except in the case OF
the two larger counties, where the
commissioners will have to be from
the single county.
Licenses For Two Years.
Each district license commissioner
IL to be elected for two years and IL
censes are to be issued for two years,
Instead of one as at present. The IL
cense fee in addition to the $1,000 sa-
loon license is 5000 and serves for
two years. Salaries of district COM
missioners are to be determined by
the county clerks, but shall not ex-
ceed $4,000.
Other features of the measure are:
Only saloon and wholesale licenses to
be granted. both kinds can not be
granted to one person; breweries pro-
hibited selling from wagon to indi.
viduals or delivering to homes:
wholesale dealers can not sell in
quantities of less than two gallons
Ealt or one quart distilled liquor;
retailer can not sell in quantities
greater than one pint distilled or one
gallon malt liquor; licenses to be
granted for two years, beginning on
fourth Monday in May of odd years;
appeals from decision Of district COM
missioners by persons refused IL
censes to be made to the common
pleas court.
Conviction of q licensee for viola
tion of state or municipal ordinance
regulating the liquor traffic, subjects
him to suspension for ten days, and
second conviction works to revoke
his license. Present licensees are to
be given preference over others in the
granting of permits. All licensees
must be Of good moral character"
Special elections for further re-
stricting the number of saloons per
unit of population may be called on
petition of 25 per cent of the total
vote cast for governor at the preced-
ing election.
Aimed at Screen Law.
Intended to furnish a means OF set.
Ting the coal strike in the eastern
coal fields is bill introduced in the
| senate by Senator Gallagher of Madi-
son county. The bill would amend
the Green anti-screen law 80 that
miners and operators may contract as
to the method of mining coal. The
Green law prohibits such contracts
and requires all mining to be done
on the run-of-mine basis. Senator
Gallagher's measure will permit op-
orators and miners to contract for
mining either on a screen or run-of-
mine basis, If they can agree on the
prices to be paid, but If they do not
SO contract, then the mines must be
operated on a run-of-mine basis as
provided by the Green law. Senator
Gallagher expects to encounter op-
position from the miners union.
Contests filed against the seats of
the four Democratic representatives
from Lucas county will not be dis
missed summarily. but will be in
| Quired into closely. The Whittemore
committee on contests will go to To
ledo after adjournment Of the legis-
lature Thursday or Friday and will
hold sittings there. r. T. Garrison
| ard William Mattison, attorneys f0s
the contestants, filed depositions al.
ieging that there had been drinking
In the polling places, that one Demo
cratic election Judge had instructed
rs or so voters how to mark their
ballots. that many voters had been
rauled to the polls in automobiles by
workers and that there had been
| fraudulent registration.
| British Losses 100000.