Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1916-10-11
LICENSE FOR SALOON
STIRS COMMUNITY TO
CENSURE OF COURTS
Three Years Fight Fails to Keep
Rum Shop From Center of
Goth and Lansdowne Ave-
nue. Section
PLAN PROTEST MEETING

The Indignation OF an entire community
blazed up today against the action OF
Judges Barratt and Davis. OF the License
Court. in granting permission TO a saloon
keeper to locate his barroom In their midst,
after three years OF protest and vigilance
had kept the nelghborhood free from
saloons
The community centers about Sixtieth
street and Lansdowne avenue. The saloon
keeper is Michael J. Burke, whose bar is
at 2l00 Callowhil street Armed with
transfer license he will move his saloon to
the southwest corner OF SIxtieth and Lans-
downe avenue. In the very heart of the
community.
Steps to circumvent the invasion already
are under way. although anti-saloon leaders
fear that nothing can be done except to
voice the protest of the neighborhood
against the courts action.
PLAN PROTEST MEETING.
A protest meeting will be held next Sun.
day night in the Mary Simpson Memorial
Methodist Church, Slxty-first and Jefferson
streets, and the pastor, the Rev. Edgar &.
Adamson, will preach sermon directed
against the courts decision. Other leaders
will speak
ITO say that we are amazed at this out
rageous decision is putting It mildly" Mr..
Adamson declared today. ANY person who
cares 10 learn how we feel about II should
come TO the protest meeting. individually
and collectively we have fought worked and
protested and have kept our doors free from
contamination, and now the court allows
a bar to settle In the very center of our
community, where its evil influence will
radiate in all directions. 1t would have
been evil enough to permit a saloon TO To-
cate on our outskirts But to saddle II
right In among us is a shame and an out
rage. II means blow at the community's
morals"
The pastors denunciation was re-echoed
by other Inhabitants OF the little dry"
community which is proud that the near
est saloons have been kept as far away as
Sixtieth street and Girard avenue, Sixty
first and Thompson streets and Fifty-sixth
street, with none to the north
MANY REMoNSTRANTs
"It is dlsgraceful that over the protests of
the people who have made this community
what II Is tho court should send a saloon
into our midst" said the Rev. Francis s,
Hort, pastor OF the Calvin Presbyterian
Church. "The opposition to saloons in this
neighborhood, as the court was no doubt
well aware, has been growing steadily In
the last three years. Before We began 10
uifficult to get more than two or three re-
monstrants, but Of late II has been the
regular thing TO bring twenty and thirty
persons into court TO protest. Once we
had seventy remonstrants Does not that
mean something TO the court?"
Conditions that existed in the community
when the court twice refused Burke's petit
tion for transfer have not changed. ac-
cording to Alexander Young. druggist,
on the northwest corner, across from the
saloon site.
There is no more need for saloon now
than there was then" he said. In fact,
there's less need now"
why did the court change it's mind7"
demanded Harry c. Dennis, OF 6OO2 Lans-
downe avenue. next door to the site. who Is
superintendent of the Haney-Whlte Lum-
ber Company and one OF the anti-saloon
leaders. "opr remonstranee. signed by 700
names clearly indicated tho sentiment OF
the neighborhood."
NINTH TRIAL SUCCEEDS
Charles S. Aitken. who conducts an oyster
saloon in the building where the rum shop
will be opened. declared that the courts
decision indicated that II did not care what
the neighborhood sentiment was.
mot only for myself but for the good
OF the neighborhood l objected 70 the trans
fer OF the saloon and signed the remon-
strances" said Aitken. who is a tenant.
THE coming Of the saloon will cause
property values TO drop, i. for one. win
lose money moving.
The property was sold two months ago
for Sl2,b00 TO man named Burns. Altken
said. Burke, the saloonkeeper who viii
settle there was the only one out OF hve
liquor men granted liscenses 10 transfer
their bars 10 West Philadelphia this week
IL was his ninth attempt 10 have his license
transferred from 2i00 callowhill street,
which is In line with the Parkway develop