Connecticut western news., 1916-11-16
CITIZENS DEMONSTRATE
Clayton Residents Object to Location
 of Saloon in their Village.

or saloon Tn their Village.
 The residents of the neighboring town of New Marlboro, more particu- larly those in the village of Clayton, just over the line from North Canaan, were thoroughly aroused over the re. port that the Rood place had been rented by J. 0. Sweeney for saloon purposes.
 Further investigation brought to light report that P. O. Holleran had recently purchased the property and in. tended to rent or sell to Jerry O. Sweeney who filed his petition for fourth class license or bottle license, (not to be drunk on the premises. This house is on the north side of the state road in Clayto'- and. only about twenty-five feet from the state line and would provide.sa convenient place for the thirsty of both communities to supply their needs.
 It seems that the town of New Marl- boro voted for license at it's annual meeting last spring. but no one had put in an application until MT. Sweeney filed one and now it is reported that Floyd Canfield has also filed an appli. cation for license at his home near Canaan Valley.
 The circulation of petition remon. strating against the granting of 8 license was thoroughly done in and around Clayton; about two hundred signatures being secured. It was said that but three men within radius of two miles declined to sign such paper, two of whom were friends of the appli cant and the other was in favor of granting the license. The hearing on the remonstrance was held Thursday evening of last week, at the town hall in Mill River, and was larely attended by the citizens of Clayton and also by representative business men from Ca. naar.
 J. B. Tinker presented the petition to Selectmen Bradley and Forrest, the third member of the board being absent. In good taste and with vigor MT. link CT stated his side of the case making forcible plea that the board decline to grant the license. He was followed by Frank Miller, who called attention to the kind of license asked for; fourth class, which provides that the goods be sold in bulk and not to be drunk on the premises. Rev. E. O. Gillette spoke from the standpoint of one of the pas tors serving the Chapel at Clayton. Ralph Rhoades spoke against saloon on general principles and also said that the Town of North Canaan had a lively and wide awake Business Mems Asso- citation and if Canaan wanted saloon or considered it for the best interest of their town to have 8 saloon, they would not have voted against it and he did not consider that it was treating Canaan right to grant this license right on the border of their town. Wallace Bentley called attention to the danger to pedestrians snd travellers from auto. mobiles standing on the curve in front of the particular point where the house was located.
 P. A. Brennan did not advocate the granting of license for economic req. sons, the most the town would receive would be $200 which amount would come directly from the pockets of those who could least afford to lose it, and on into the pockets of an outsider. Howard Cook took the stand that just because the town had voted license was no reason why one should be granted, it had never come up as an issue, and further stated that as the town of North Canaan had recently voted "No License" it would appear as though the application for license right on the border line of the Town of North Ga naan was an attempt to evade or nullify the "No License" vote of North Canaan and ought not to be encouraged.
 No one appeared in favor of the ap- plication.
 The hearing adjourned with the un. derstandjng that a decision would be announced later from the full board. According to Massachusetts law the Chairman of the Board of Selectmen must sign the license and as Chairman Bradley refused to do so, Clayton is free from the threatened menace.