Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1915-12-23
COUNCIL HAS SPAT
LOVER BAR LICENSE
Commissioners Hummel and Kugel
Take Issue with Mayor Over
Permit to Anton Powal.
TELLS KUGEL TO GET ON JOB

The habit of considering liquor
License applications in open sessions,
10 which the city council is becoming
addicted, resulted in an exchange OF
pointed remarks when the council
sat as an excise board yesterday.
The ruction was started when the
application of Anton Powal for a
license at POI South Ninth street was
considered Commissioner Kugel
announced that Powal had violated
the liquor laws during the year and
had received a complaint from Mayor
nahlman. who reported that officials
Of the smelter protested because
some of their employees had been
rendered unfit for work while at this
saloon.
Mayor Dahlman put the vote and an
nounced the license was granted. where
upon Commissioner Hummel, who voted
no, insisted that a regular roll call be
read by the clerk. as the commissioner
wished his vote against the license to
be a matter OF record. The roll call vote
gave four votes for the license, Commits
sloners Kugel and Hummel voting no and
Commissioner Jardine declining to vote.
Tnkc Issue with Mayor.
This situation brought a statement
from the mayor. who said no thought
tho council had adopted the policy that
all the commissioners would vote as a
unit on saloon licenses, Commissioners
kuge and Hummel took issue with the
mayor and announced they would vote
their individual convictions,
Commissioner Butler thereupon offered
a resolution. that thereafter all excise
meetings be held in the open and that
executive sessions be no more. The reso-
luton went through.
saloon Man Laughs at Kuge1.
A statement by Commissioner Kugel
was: Il know that certain saloon men
have violated the law during this year,
but 1 can not always prove 1t to you.
You will have to take my word for It.
Ny moral squad brings reports Of viola
lions, but the evidence is not of such
nature as to hold in court. but we
know the violations existed. In this
rPowal case they we're so bold as to solicit
business on Sundays on the walk. /
don't want to tell you how to vote. but
1 am going to vote against this and
some other applications 1 am holding, A
saloon man called at my office the other
day and laughed at me when told him
he would have to obey the law this year
or his license would not be renewed. 1
don't know where he got his assurance"
Tells KugeI to Get Busy.
Then the mayor, addressing Mr.. Kugel
said: Get your old moral squad busy.
Either they amt doing their duty or
they are playing favorites. Don't pick
out one man for the goat"
And Commissioner Butler also spoke:
II don't know abou. this particular appli-
cant (PowaD. but, / know about others
who have been violating the lianor laws
end are getting away with it, &
Commissioner Jardine expressed the be-
lief that the council should support each
other on recommendations. He made this
statement to Anton Powal: we are go
ing to have prohibition in this state II
you saloon men do not behave"
The gist Of the situation is that Com
missioner Kugel wants to place himself
in the position OF advising the council OF
certain saloon men who have violated
liquor laws this year, and after he has
voted no on their applications for 1915
licenses he will feel that It will be up to
the other commissioners to support him
or assume the responsibility II such IL
censes are granted.