The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1916-12-15
Open Bars No Secret
In State of Maine
MayorIssues Order to Close
Saloons IN Bangor

Below is printed a portion of an
article by Walter w. Ridley in a
recent issue of The Boston Transcript
Press dispa' nes this week, an
nouncing the perplexity of Bangor as
to the best method of closing its
saloons during the strike of street
railway operatives, must have caused
surprise to the innocent and amuse-
dry" state, why should Bangor be
vexed with the problem of closing any
saloons? The mayor and the chief of
to the wisdom of closing the 123
liquor resorts of that prohibition city.
This difficulty has been happily COM
posed. The chief of police has with
drawn his resignation, the mayor
retains his office and 123 saloons have
been definitely closed. And this in
Maine?
Prohibition in Mainel Surely pro-
hibition as defined by Webster does
not exist in that part of New Eng
land There are those who have
visited Maine and have found no
liquor for sale and some residents of
the state deny that liquor can be
purchased there. Some who have
been down in Maine" year after year
as a favorite place of recreation
stoutly deny that they could buy a
drop of liquor in whatever places
they visited. One in particular de-
clared his absolute inability to pur-
chase intoxicants in certain Maine
city. When matters were explained to
him he. said that probably it was
easy enough to get liquor in that city
If one knew how. The following
instance shows how difficult it is for
aperson upec1uainted with the
intricate system TO purchase liquor in
that city.
A hundred or more foreigners, un-
able to speak a word of English,
arrived in this same city on a
Mediterranean liner. Their destination
was Montreal and after the usual
formalities they were taken to the
r.iIread station. yhsre they were tc
about two hours after they had set
foot on American soil, the govern
ment official in charge was told by a
subordinate that two of the foreigners
had liquor which had not been
Checked" The official went to the
pair. Each had two quarts of liquor.
The bottles bore a well-known brand
and the United States revenue
stamp. These two men had secured,
within two hours of landing in the
city, one gallon of whiskey, and it
was not necessary for them to speak
, English to get it, either. This shows
the difficulty.
A stranger has little difficulty in
getting his drink at a drug store
and If he strikes the wrong one he
is in no danger of exhausting himself
In walking till he finds the right one.
A respectable resident of a district
will probably be refused liquor where
he is known; an acknowledged drunk
ard will have little trouble in finding
an additional supply. TIE proprietor
of hotel is not allowed TO run the
bar In his building-if hosiery has
one it is managed by an outsider-but
the hotel manager may operate
another saloon. By this method the
entire system of liquor selling is
under the control of few persons
who handle the wholesale end and are
thus, through the sales control,
assured Of their "just" percentages.
The Legitimate" liquor dealers pay
no license fee, but it is claimed that
they have to pay percentage of the
election expenses of certain politicians.
Publication authorized by the
Indiana Rrpfrprs a Assorj0f;o,,