The Bridgeport evening farmer. [volume] (Bridgeport, Conn.) 1866-1917, 1915-03-04
WHAT IS STANDING
OF CLUBS WHERE
LIQUOR IS USED?
Interesting Discussion Before
Excise Committee of Gen
eral Assembly.
(speeia1 70 rhe Farmer.l


bly, yesterday an interesting discus
sion took place in relation to the
status of clubs where liquor is dis
pensed. There was large attend
ance at the hearings on several liquor
bills
of the existing clubs Of the state a
nuisance. A substitute measure would
compel each club in a licensed town
to secure q liquor license.
One thing must be accomplished.
said Mr. Spooner. the disreputabIe
club must be governed. The reput-
able ones ought to help in this cause
Bridgeport was cited as a city hav-
ing clubs that should be governed.
The unlicensed club was called the
worst evil of the day. Mr.. Spooner
thought that the number of licensed
clubs ought to be limited. No at
tempt was being made by Mr.. Spoon
er, he said to hit the German singing
societies. Mr.. Spooner thought that
/ in Connecticut there were 800 or 400
clubs selling liquor! to minors seven
days a week and in many Of them
gambling was allowed and pron1is-
cuous drinking.
winslovx Russell thought good
prosecuting off1cer in any locality
EcouId take care of disreputable clubs
under existing laws The trouble
Is in knowing where to start apd in Sc
curing evidence. The prosecutors
idonst know where to draw the line.
The best clubs have q wine list with
its price list and sell with no license
Except a federal one. One club in a
no-license town has a charter that
gives the club permission to treat its
guests as one can be treated at home,
! all laws to the contrary. notwith-
standing. Mr.. Russell thought one
club for each 5000 people was enough
with not more than fifteen clubs in
any one city A good sized license
fee should be exacted.
Rev. DR.. E. def. Mel of Hartford
thought all clubs should be treated
Ealike.
No Discrimination should be made
between either high toned or low ton
led clubs.
Emil L. G. Hohentha1 admitter it
was a vexed question. A working
1 man should have the same privilege
OF organizing a club and enjoying the
same privileges as a Inernber of a
rich mans club. The Office of the
internal revenue collector shows many
clubs with federal licenses although
no state license for the club exists Mr..
IHohentha1 thought the hours of sales
in these clubs should be limited. Mr..
iHohenthal thought merely because a
club was incorporated, it had no right
Ito sell liquor without a state license.
Put the clubs on the same basis
las the licensed dealer and under sim
1 liar restrictions, urged Mr. Hohenthal
Hinder young women getting together
and having club with the same
rights as the other clubs
Cornelius O'Sul1ivan of Hartford
wanted to know why the Hartford
Club could keep open all night and
fbring home its ssjagss' in cabs, while
/ Hartford saloons have to close at reg
ular hours. Mr.. O'Sullivan said men
in the Hartford Club being high in
/ politics evaded the law while poor
men did not. Mr.. OsSu1Iivan himself
lis a total a.bstatner.
i Michael Kenealy of Stamford said
the question was this: Whether the
club is organized for and as drink
ling club or whether the dispensing OF
liquors is merely an incident Of club
life. If the latter it is not q violation
of excise laws.
IKenealy, like the Hartford Club, has
a large membership -no minors, and
for that matter. what reputable club
i has said Mr.. KeneaIy. A purchase
OF liquor In any of those clubs gives
the profit to the general fund for the
for q community of interest Of all the
members. whether in form of IL
| quor or cash It remains the property
i of the club.
4 Mr.. Kenealy did not favor any OF
4 the so-ca1Ied dives run simply for
1 gambling and drinking purposes I'M
j der the g71ise Of c1ubs Mr.. Kenealy
said that Connecticut was full of fire.
thermal organizations with their club
i houses like the Elks, the Eagles the
i Golf Club and social clubs like the
i Hartford club and In many Of these
clubs the members live there; talks
i meals and sleep there, the only home
4 they have. In such cases it would
/ seem that the dispensing of liquor is
i a mere incident of club life, a dis
tinction should be made from a pub
lie saloon
dent of the Golf Association of Con-
i necticut, said that golf was the recrea-
ton of the mankof advancing years
i He thought golf clubs We're helpful
! to any community. He wanted a line
I drawn between clubs and dives. He
I thought the present law was sufficient
and if properly looked after, the evils
could be eradicated- Mr.. Curtiss ad-
nitted in answering a question thai
| many of the club men play golf on
1 Sunday Mr.. Hohenthal wanted to
know if an expert golfer ought to have
a drink and Mr.. Curtiss said the goI-
fer at least ought to have the privil-
eye of securing a drink If he desired
John Boil of Stamford, a member
of both the Elks and the Eagles, said
| the club room was an incident of the
order, and that the sale of liquor was
not for a profit but simply as an adj
ditior to club Iffe.. He thought that
so per cent. of the Eagles in the state
/ were working men and their club
1 rooms were run for social purposes
solely. AS for himself Mr.. BOIL did
not drink liquor in any form, yet he
| thought liquor in club circles was
/ proper for those desiring it.
CHINESE Y. NJ. 6. A. SENDS