Omaha daily bee., 1916-12-15
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The Bee: Within a few days the
authorities of the city of Omaha VIII
issue liquor licenses to applicants VINO
desire to engage in the saloon buSl-
ness. Under the SloCum law the APP
plicant is required TO give bond in
the sum of $1,000. conditioned that
the applicant will pay all damages
that result from the traffic in which
he proposes to engage. The law con-
templates the giving of good bond,
and now. more than ever, ought this
phase of the law be enforced.
There will be a tendency, during the
remaining months in which the traffic
may be carried on in Nebraska, for
some saloon keepers to conduct their
places of business with only one OBJ
ject in view, and that will be to get
every dollar out of the business pos
sble, without regard to the manner or
means by which this end may be ac-
complished. The duty of demanding
a proper bond from every applicant
devolves upon the city commissioners
of Omaha, and they will be held re-
sponsible this year, more than ever.
for proper performance of their duty
in this respect.
The question now is will they per-
NIT repetition of the personal bond
farce which was acquiesced in year
ago or will they demand that the APP
plicant give a proper surety bond in
some company of recognized respon-
sibility?
There are numerous instances at the
present time in this city of saloon
keepers who have virtually no bond
at all, having been able last year to
put over a personal bond upon the
commission.
In many instances the proposed per-
SOnal Sureties possess no real estate
outside of homestead, or other prop
erty heavily incumbered which would
be of no avail to the widow or orphan
whose husband or father may have
been killed or debauched by the traf-
fic. In some instances some sureties
who signed liquor bonds a year ago,
alienated their property Immediately
after the granting of the license, and
in such a case the saloon keeper has
no bond at all
Nothing in the law requires the
surety who signs liquor bond to re-
tain ownership of his property which
he scheduled in order to justify upon
the bond and he is at liberty to sell
and dispose of the same at any time
thereafter and in such an event the
object and purpose Of the bond is de-
feated.
Within the last sixty days two in
stances of such an abuse have come
to my notice as an attorney. In either
of the cases a suit to recover the dam
ages wrought in the home of the de-
pendents of debauched husband
would be useless for the reason that
the personal bonds" given are worth
bo hau loft q citv u nd
disposed of the property which was
scheduled by them at the time the
bond was approved by the commits
sioners.
The commissioners have the power,
and it is up to them to demand a
proper bond, and every one knows
that the only safe bond is that given
by surety company.
| invite public attention to this, to
the end that the commissioners may
know that the people are looking to
them for justice and for a square deal.
They owe it to the wives and children
of the prospective victims of booze to
arrange the liquor bond matter so
that the dependents may have re-
course against saloon keeper who is
responsible for their misfortune.
Let us hope that the commissioners
VIII cut out me straw DOnu OF per
sonal bond farce and demand a sure
ty bond. HENRY C. MURPHY.
In the W. X. c.
Omaha, Dec. Ito the Editor of
The Bee; How often do we hear it
said. Il cannot belong to the Woman's
Relief corps, having no blood relations
who were soldiers? To these | wish
to say the membership of the Woman's
Relief corps is not made up of rela-
lives of the Grand Army of the Re
public. And upon our broad founda-
ton stands the eligibility Of member
ship. The loyal women who all these
years have banded together to assist
the Grand Army of the Republic the
loyal woman who stood loyal to her
country, charged father. brother and
lover to remember her prayer, follow
ing them amid shot and she'll" the
bravest soldiers of our land. Remem-
Der, women are loyal by birth, not by
MARRIAGE, SO we as Woman Relief
corps women do welcome all loyal
women to unite with us in honoring
the grand men who wear the bronze
button They PLANTED the stars of orr