Norwich bulletin., 1915-04-22
HOUSE VOTES LICENSE FEE OF $3.50
In Towns of 10 900 OverMnory Report Adopted After
Prolonged Debate-Majority Report Recommended In
crease From $3.50 to $6OO-In the Senate the Commit
tee on Humane Institutions Reported Favorably
State Farm for Inebriates.

censes. In Rhode Island we find the
fee $500. We find that New York has
a maximum fee Of $1,000.
Expense of Institutions.
Nearly so institutions supported
wholly or in part by state money must
care for the victims of drink. These
include not only the prisons and jails,
but hospitals, asylums, sanitariums and
other institutions. The expense of
maintaining these and our courts has
increased from $1,30S,0OO in 1905 to
$2,577,000 in 1914, or nearly double, and
none of the license money is now paid
to the state.
If the liquor interests Of this state
only saw the light, they would rejoice
at the opportunity to come in on this
$3.50 license fee They are standing in
their own light by fighting this minor
ity report. 1 honestly believe that
with an increase to $3.50 the liquor men
would be in a better position a few
years hence to fight strict limitation
or statewide prohibition. The increase
of license will wipe out some diSrepu-
table places which cannot be reached
| otherwise. Make the license high and
| later cut off the pernicious certificate
law and you have the best solution of
the regulated liquor traffic.
Brewers Control Too Many Saloons.
The brewing interests in this state
control too many licenses, and this is
where the increase will hit hardest.
The brewers are financing saloons on
weekly payment plan. AS soon as a
| license is issued we find an attachment
| placed upon it by the brewer for $4,000
| or $4,000. This is a vicious practice
| and it keeps alive many places when
| the proprietor is only an agent of the
| brewer. These men will violate the
| law on Sunday and other times; the
| tnT11 Mt a fjnT iS thew have diff
| ficulty to make both ends meet. This
is the class of saloon that we want to
| rid the state of.
! Mr.. Morton of Saybrook said the
matter under discussion was entitled to
careful consideration and commented
| favorab1y on the speech of Mr.. Martin.
| He declared the liquor traffic has two
enemieS-public opinion and those who
| had control of the traffic, who have
| forced on the public matters that have
] reacted against the liquor dealers. He
I referred to the public institutions of
| the state, occupied in the main by
victims of strong drink and yet the
| liquor dealers do not contribute a cent
| for the support of these institutions.
| Mr.. Morton repeated the figures given
by Mr.. Martin in support of the claim
| that the institutions maintained for
| the care of those sent there by the sa-
loon should be paid for, in part, at
least, by the saloon keepers.
Opposed to $3.50 Fee.
Mr.. Harrison of Meriden, speaking
| in opposition to the increase of the fee
to $3.50 and that $500 was high enough
| for a single jump. He took no stock
| in the fees charged in other states, but
that it was the duty. of the legislators
| to legiSlate for their own state, and
he did not believe the people demanded
| a fee of $3.50 for a liquor license.
| Mr.. Shaw of Reading spoke in favor
| of the minority report, which he de-
| clared only exacted a fair fee for a
liquor license in the state, and would
give to the state the financial aid that
| was due the state from the liquor
business. The proposed raise Of $500
he considered moderate.
Mr.. Pelton of Clinton said the rea-
son of the license was to raise money
and regulate the liquor business and
was not a tax but. the disposition of
| license was simply matter of sale at
| a specified price. He said were the
fee SO, almost every man, and woman
too, in the state would go into the
| liquor business, and as the scale is ad-
| vanced there will be a decrease in
LIQUOR dealers and diminuition of the
offensive saloon. He favored even a
larger amount than $3.50 for liquor
license, especially when $3.50 license
can be disposed of for $4,000. He said
the increase will drive the saloons out
of business that ought to be driven out
| Favored $500 Fee.
Mr.. Hyde. of Manchester, said the
excise committee had presented two
reports, and he was opposed to the
higher license $3.50, and in favoring Of
the report of the majority committee
The legislature anti-saloon commit
tee favored a $1,000 license with linfta-
tations of one license to 1000, an6
stated that in neighboring states where
there was license with limitations. Il
the measure is a purely tentative
measure, the majority committee de.