The Telegraph-courier. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1888-1946, 1915-07-29
no new LICENSES FOR YEARS
Saloon Licenses Sought But Refused by
the Council May Not Now Be Issued
and City Must Wait for Further sa-
looms Until it Has $4,000 People.

Kenosha is not going to have any
increase in the number of saloons now
in existence. Governor Philip on
Tuesday evening signed the Stemper
act and it will become law by pub
LEGATION today and under this law no
city may issue new saloon licenses un-
til the number Of saloons in existence
becomes less than one for each five
hundred Of the population. Saloons
which were in existence on the first
day Of June 1915, which have not been
denied licenses for any reason since
that time may continue in existence,
but the Kenosha council may not issue
licenses for any new places. When
ever saloon goes out of business in
the future the license dies and in this
manner the state law provides that the
cities of the state must reduce the
number of saloons until they come
within the limit Of one for each five
hundred inhabitants.
At the present time petition is in
circulation seeking reconsideration
of the action of the council in refusing
to grant a license to the saloon oper-
ated by Krisor and Son on North Mil
waukee avenue. The new state law
bars the council from acting and even
though the petition might be signed by
hundreds of property owners in the
surrounding district the license could
not be granted until some other saloon
now in existence surrendered its IL
cense. After thirty days have passed
the rights of saloon men to ask for a
new license under this provision will
have expired,
The passage Of the law is expected
to clean up all the squabbles that have
existed over saloons and to bring the
limit as soon as possible to one for
each five hundred people. There is no
chance for the issuance of more licenses
in Kenosha now as there is not sin
gle man in the business willing to give
UP his license right. No longer will
there be any use of seeking extensions
of the saloon district as with the pres
pretty certain that the council will not
have any right under the state law to
issue more licenses in less than fifteen
years and it would be mere waste of
time to trife with changes in the sa-
loon license district.
The new law promises to be popular
with the saloon men in Milwaukee, but
1t will be unpopular in cities like Ke-
nosha where the council has shown a.
willingness to increase the number of
saloons beyond the limit placed by the
Baker law. 1t puts a powerful wea-
pom in the hands of property owners
who seek to protect themselves against
saloons coming into residence districts
and it is certain that the law will be
invoked on many occasions.
The men who proposed the measure
insist that it will bring cleaner and
better regulated saloons as Just as soon
as saloon license is opposed of bv
the council it means that no other Ii.
cense may be issued in place of it.
Brewing companies with large invest
ments in buildings and fixtures will see
TO it that saloons are run properly so
that there will be no reason to expect
that these places will be closed up
under the new state law.
The law is certain to put a quietus
on all movements to secure the issu-
ance of further licenses in Kenosha.