The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1915-12-22
PASTORS WANT Lid
ON new YEARS EYE
Mayor Confronted by Great
Heap Of Letters Opposing
All Night Permits.
NO DECISION YET MADE
Broadway Association Asks
Mitchell to Let Down Bars
to Those WhO've Asked.

Shall New York welcome the New
Year with shout and laughter, with
dance and song and the pop Of merry
corks. or ought 1t rather to consume
those early morning hours with sessions
OF sweet. silent thouEht7 Wouldn't II
be better for everybody II every body
would have q good time until 1 o'clock
In the morning and then stop right
there and begin to contemplated Ought
the opening Of another stretch In the
all too brief career Of man to be an
occasion for hilarity or for sober mus
inys7
Those are the questions that are now
sursing through the brain Of Mayor
Mitchell With the nrst fall OF snow
the letters and petitions of those who
oppose an all night celebration began to
accumulate upon his desk. There Is a
heap OF them there now that would drive
any less equable person to distraction.
Most Of them are from clergymen and
they paint In varied degrees the depths
OF degradation to which the city is
brought by these ''orgies." Tie famil-
iarity which some Of these letters dis
close with night life at its worst In New
York comes each year as shock to
those who think they have q fair knowl-
edge OF things as they 40 along Broad
way. Last year 2l5 all night licenses
were issued and not one complaint was
heard. but all that Is to be changed this
year. according to the Mayors Inform
ants.
The Rev. william NJ. Carr OF the
Beekman Hill NJ. +. Church says he be-
lieves everybody can get enough to drink
during the usual license hours OF the
day without using the night. He says
the harmfulness of drink Is coming to
be more and more realized by the peo-
pies OF the earth. and most empha;i-
cally by Americans. In his opinion the
New Year should not begin with a
carousal but rather with serious
thought"
Druak Once . Year.
The Rev. Robert Watson Of the Scotch
Presbyterian Church. Nincty-slxth street
and Central Park West. urges the Mayor
TO take such action as will convince all
the people that you are on the side of
Righteousness" He says there must be
encpgh good people IN this town ito hack
your Honor up In an eYors to lead all OF
the people into better understanding
OF what life really ineans."
II have men IN my church" writes the
Rev. Victor q. Finn OF the Third Mora
Wan Church. "who can keep sober
WI l'usu' , VI. .es. y. w ,s guy VIZ WV,
~ -, ., "'' "'N
~. 49, . 49,,
no'"e. "' a, va.
,eason WI. an ,,en' ..en" sn'ui' no.
~ sra''eo Oh NeW ieh' eve ,"as
ou"ua! con'es tMo Gays I"ter. an VI
une 'e''e,s W! suess o'' '"e 'lo.ous S'''-
dit,ons tnat prevail every"here' Soile
OF tne petitioners thihK some places
shouid oe allowed To Keep OPEN put they
protest against any general al h'eht
business
The Mayor hasnt decided yet what ne
VIII 90 As In FORMER years the foiice
Commissioner VIII De consulted ana
those plnces which have reputation Tor
0rderHness VIII propaoiy pe favored II
is the practice not to give licenses that
are really all night licenses hut To ex-
tend the time limit for AN hour or two.
The Broadway Association eent re-
quest to Mayor Mitchell last night asking
him to issue all night licenses to tho
dozen or more restaurant and hotel pro-
prietors who have sought them. David
Robinson. secretary Of the association.
said the patrons want to celebrate, and
that the police are amply fitted to cope
with the situation.