The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1915-12-23
LID WILL Be TILTED
FOR MERRYMAKERS
ON NEW YEARS EVE
Mayor Mitchell to Allow Spe-
cial Licenses for About
200 Restaurants.
ANSWERS PROTESTS
BY RECALLING PAST

Mayor Mitchell decided yesterday that
custom and the desire Of the people
Justify him IN permitting . reasonably
wet New Years eve. and he wrote a
letter to that effect to william M. Ander-
son. State Superintendent Of the Anti
Saloon League. M the Rev. o. r. Mil
ler. State Superintendent Of the New
York Civic League. both Of whom have
bsen active In voicins the protests Of
th,y termed New Years eve 'carous-
ing md revelry."
In accordance with tho Mayors de-
oisitn special permits to sell drinks
until 3 A. NJ. vii, DO Issued to restau-
rants and cabarets hat do not have all
might licenses and whose ability to pre-
serve order is recommended by tho po-
lice and by tho Mayors advisers. Fur
shermore. sufficient time will be given to
the patrons Of these places to consume
the celebration fluids ordered before .
A. NJ. and 10 make u dignifed and I'M
hurried exit.
That OF course means anything that
the police and tho proprictors Of the res
taurants are willing for II to mean. No
person will be allowed to buy after tho
year 1916 is three hours aged. but the
Mayors order Is taken to DO flexible
enough to permit celebrators to finish
whatever may happen to be standing
Opon their tables.
1s All Might saloons Open.
Assuming that tho majority of per-
Aaru n,hA l.NnL PorvrarA 20 Maui vnov'S
owe as their time honored opportunity
t. relax, lot Off steam. frivol INC bounce
little balloons with true bohemian aban-
don are quite willing to call 1t a night
by 3 80 4. NJ. or even 4 A. NJ. or what
ever hour 1t may be that tho tabletops
are properly cleared and all bottles and
glasses are dry, 1t will be perfectly pos
sible for the others--those who arc
prowlishly inclined and want TO see the
sun come up-to hurry to any one u
the twenty-eight restaurants M cafes
that enjoy all night licenses.
The Mayors order. issued after pro-
longed conferences with Police Commits
eioner Woods, Aldermanic President Nc
Anely and others of the Mayors cab!-
not. means therefore that the gayety and
late hours characteristic Of past New
Years ewes will not be measurably cur
tailed this year. Technically II ini-
pesos a new restriction upon restaurant
proprietors and upon restaurant pa
irons. but actually it will make little
difference as the order Is interpreted.
IN letter which Mayor Mitchell sent
70 the protestants was IA follows:
"Your letter Of December 10 has been
received. 1t is certainly not my inten-
ton to take any action with reference
to all night licenses or Aew Years eve
which would encourage excessive drink
ing and revelry. We must recognize,
however. the fact that IL Is the custom
in this town Of many years standing
for an unusually large number Of people
70 go to restaurants. on New Years eve.
IL recognition of this it seems to me
wise TO grant. as the aw empowers me-.
to restaurants of good reputation a
special license which will enable more
people than usual to take a late supper
On this one night of the year.
Just Want to Celebrate.
"NIost of those who go to restaurants
go merely to celebrate with their friends
the coming of the new year. without the
disorder to which you object. Permis.
sion to restaurants to remain open will
not be granted except upon the basis
OF their good reputation as established
by experience. It does not seem TO me to
he necessary, nor do respectable citizens
ustmv' pvop h tnCu nm;m ~
able them to meet their friends and
celebrate he coming Of the new year In
an orderly way.
Il shall therefore refuse to give 20
any restaurant a license to stay open
all night. / intend, however, to extend
20 restaurants of good reputation, for
this night only, the privilege of remain
ing open until Q o'clock, which is one
hour beyond the closing time for restau-
rants which regularly have these
licenses. / have Instructed the Police
Commissioner to see to II that decency
and order are everywhere maintained
Restaurants that permit drunkenness or
disorder will be refused similar proyi-
siops In the future"
The Mayors decision was a distinc,
disappointment TO ministers and church
organizations that were demanding a /
o'clock Closing order for New Year's eve
For weeks they had ~tombarded thu
Mayor with appeals and arguments an,
protests. representing in the main tina
New Years eve celebrations In this CITY
Rad degenerated to be drunken orgies
some ministers complaining that New
Years eve was the one occasion in IN.
80. 49,. 81, ~. 49, H'i