The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1917-09-06
IItS N new YORK
WILL 8ANlSH LIQUOR
| Al SPRING ELECTION
0fty or Fifty of the Fffty-Seven Mu.
Scheduled to Vote VIII
Dust the Liquor Traffic.
|iTY OFFICIALS LEADING FIGHT
e" provisions of Excise Law VIII
Tut Many Saloons Out of Bush
ness---Liquor Profits Are Dwindl-

Between forty and fifty of the fifty
even cities in the state of New York
III vote on the question of liquor
censes al their first opportunity next
prii, and at least thirty will go dry.
lp TO 20 percent eLthe- present
cehsed liquor places in the state will
put out or business the first OF Dc
oper oy the reduction feature OF the
mended excise law and an additional
per cent will quit voluntarily be
Ause increased license fees and-the
ederal prohibition of the manufae-
ute or distilled liquors will make 1t
impossible for them to continue doing
BUSINESS at q profit.
Despite the prevailing impression
nat II will be one of the last states to
70 dry. New York will be one OF the
nrty-six states whose legislatures
VII ratify prohibition amendment
the federal constitution.
*hese are some of the predictions
pong made by John l.. Warner. who
representative of the state Anti
saioon league has Just visited twenty
our OK the cities with view TO sizing
ep prospects for no-license elections
fext spring under the new city option
aW. In his two months tour Mr.. War
ier mas spent two to four days In a
f'ty, interviewing clergymen, promi-
tent church laymen. manufacturers
business and professional men, city
pmcials. political leaders and other
citizens In an effort TO
ee as accurate an estimate as possible
q public sentiment on the liquor cues
Jon and the prospects for no-ncense
1ctories, He viii continue his can
Hass OF the cities during the next few
Planning for Campaign.
In all of the twenty-four cities visit
in consecutive order plans are
Anoer way for initiating local option
campaigns some time before the first
~ December In all but three or four
IL conceded that the drys have
more than an even chance OF winning
md In most OF them decisive ma
ority Is probable. The cities covered
IRE Rochester. jamestown. olean,
1ornell. Corning. ,Elmtra. Bingham
ION. Cneonta. Norwich. Cortland
ithaca, Syracuse, Utica. Little Fails
.5ioversvtlle, Johnstown, Amsterdam
Schenectady. Mechanicsville. Sara
toga Springs. Glens Falls. Plattsburg,
oEuersburg and WATERFOWL,
Gains Expected This Fall.
Besides the big sweep which un-
poubtsdly will be made In the cities
next spring large gains In dry terri
nfN are expected an the result of no.
ieense elections in the towns this tall
number of counties where ma
yority of the towns are no-Hc~nse
campaigns have been started to make
hese counties entirely dry Where
Pub counties contain a city an effort
PtH be made to carry all the territory
outside Of the city this fall and then
fui the city across at the special cleo
fton in the spring. All the towns ex-
eept two In thirty-seven counties will
Pc entitled 10 vote on the license
question at the regular November
Election
One of tho most Interesting aspects
pr the present excise situation, accord
ng to Mr. Warner. is the working
put OF the Brown amendment to the
liquor tax law by which the number
FL licensed places In any town or in a
Fifty of less than $4,000 population ia
fednced to one for every 500 persona
many places this is resulting In the
fitmfHatton OF more than half the sa-
Don and hotel licenses, and there is
nuch speculation as to just what at
fitude the outs will take toward the
remaining ''ins" In many places 4,
b freely predicted that the ous,ss
Dealers will ally themselves with the
forces and help to make
khefr towns or cities entirely drv
Some dealers have been quoted as
laying that II all the liquor dispen
parfss are closed by no-license vote
fhey viii abide by the popular de-
piston, but when II is a case OF their
places being closed and their neigh
eeAs and former competitors being al
lowed TO continue business they pro-
pose to take a hand In the game
The Brown law. which II is rener-
Auy understood was intended to head
pm further no-license advances in
ectualiy proving an aid to prohibition
- the belief of many unbiased observ
ers. chiefly because of the dfssenston
Which II Ia stirring UP in the uouor
ranks. BY its extensive reduction OF
He number Of people engaged in the
liquor business II is to that extent
Esakentng. the strength OF the rrpo-
pftton to prohibition. Likewise the
decreased profits resulting from the
largely Increased license fees ana
volume taxes will prevent the l,ouor
entercsts from spending money az
pavi4hly as heretofore in fEhttng
Further entertainments on their bust
nees. With forty to Atty CITY cam
palms being staged at ona tins
throughout the state the vets will he
lapable to concentrate their support