The Telegraph-courier. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1888-1946, 1915-03-18
.ANTI-SALOON LEAGUE LEADING
Campaign is centering on Proposed
Changes in Baker Law and Legisla-
tors vii lbe Forced to GO on Record
With. Many Roll Calls.

sin, led by the Anti-Saloon League, is
not trying to put the state in the dry
column, piece-meal, by means of county
option, but is making fight in the leg
islature to correct what it alleges to be
myriad of abuses of the liquor
problem.
The campaign here is centering on
the Baker law, which has been the bone
of contention for the vets and
"drys' ever since it went into effect
in 1907. This law was drafted at the
instigation of the AntiSaloon League.
its principal provision is to the effect
that there shall be but one liquor Ii
cense for every two hundred and sixty
persons in the state, unless In certain
territory there were more previously.
Saloons in excess of the number per-
mitted by the law, which were in bust
ness previous to its drafting, were al
lowed to remain in business, providing
they retained the same location. A re-
moval would forfeit this right. In Mil
of the 1924 saloons were put out of
business in violation of the law, dis
pute arose between the ''wetso and
dryso over the Interpretation of the
law and an appeal was carried to the
supreme court in 1013-the Larson
case. The court decided that saloons
were not entitled to change their
location
The common council of Milwaukee,
in the Zedrow case, carried the matter
to the supreme court again last spring,
and again that tribunal decided ad-
versely.
The latest move Of the swets'' to
circumvent the Baker law has been to
introduce the stelnper bill in this SEES
sion of the legislature, providing an
amendment that would grant the priv
leges desired by them.
The Anti-Saloon league has already
introduced eleven bids in this term Of
the legislature, affecting various. phases
of the leiquor question, and j. S. Lean
of Milwaukee, state superintendent of
the league, stated today that much
similar legislation is contemplated.
The bills fathered by the league are,
briefly, as follows:
County option measures.
Civil damage bill, providing that sa-
loon keepers shall be held liable for in
jury to any person resulting from the
sale of liquor atstheir place of business.
Change of bond, so as to provide for
a $4,000 bond under the civil damage
bill instead of the $500 present bond.
Change of license money, to provide
for payment of license money to the
county instead Of the municipality.
(This would apply in cases where the
county provides for the vicinity s poor
and insane. In places where this is
done by the municipality, the present
law shall continued
Bill to prevent issuance Of license
for saloon within one mile of !" dry J,
territory.
Anti-treat0 law, which forces a
person to buy their own liquor.
Bill requiring better collection and
tabulation Of liquor statistics.
Amendment Of eligibility law for
voters, to raise time of residence in
locality from ten to thirty days.
Law to abolish screens in fronts
of saloons
Law in accordance with Webb
Kenyon federal act, prohibiting liquor
from being shipped into dry
territory.
Bill TO amend present election law,
so that vote on liquor question if al
legged illegal, may be reviewed.
Other bills include one introduced by
Assemblyman Frederick of Kendall,
providing that saloonkeeper 5 license
must be revoked after one violation of
the liquor law. This is expected to be
killed AS is the law providing for es-
Enlistment of dry zone about
the Soldiers Home in Milwaukee.
Seventeen counties will vote on local
option at the spring election The con
fidenee of the drys'' can best be IL
Illustrated by a remark made by Super
intendent Lean today:
"Will this bill that is intended to
abolish all saloons within one mile of
dry territory affect such dry zones as
state institution state univer-
sity, for instancea'' he was asked.
He smiled.
Oh, yes, it will have such effect,
although it WASH intended primarily
for that, = he said. But we won t
have to bother about that law in regard
to the state university. You see. Dane
county is going dry. in the spring. !,