Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1917-11-13
MEASURE PASSED
BY COMMISSION
BLOW TCCROCERS
Ordinance Adopted to Get at Bootleg
gers Demands License for Sale
4, Of Flayoring Extracts.
.rpGREN MAKES A HARD FIGHT
Attacks Bill as Bit Of 3Carlouilage,"
But Vote Goes Four to 0no--Ef-
fectlve In 10 Days.

In adopting an ordinance to give the
city commission more effective wea-
non with which to work on the boot
leggers in Rock Island, measure
was adopted by the commissioners at
the regular meeting yesterday after
noon which would In it's legal effect !
compel practically every grocery op- |
Grating in the city to secure license |
70 sell the fayoring extracts when
hey now have on their shelves
The ordinance provides that IL
shall be unlawful for any person, hrm
or corporation to sell at retail waters,
carbonated waters, syrups or flavor
ing extracts. cider. near beer, or soft
drinks of any kind without first hay-
ing obtained license so 20 do IN ac-
cordance with this ordipa1ce
IL is a well known fact that almost
every grocery. II not every one, sells
fayoring extracts for domestic uses
Therefore II the new ordinance is car
rled to the letter in regard TO eX-
tracts and there is no reason why 1t
shouldn't be if Il is to be enforced In
respect TO waters, cider, syrups, near
beer and soft drinks-every grocer
carrying such extracts for sale will
either be compelled 10 secure license
involving a charge of 81 a year for
such sale. or eliminate all extracts
frcm the shelves.
A Cloud of Doubt.
Although the ordinance was passed
fsT "a
peared II be considerable doubt among
the commissioners as 20 the legal e}-
feet Of the measure The ones
in doubt we're Commissioners Murrin
and I,Iedtke Commissioner Juhl lin
cd up with Mayor McCOnochte on the
latter's motion for immediate adOp-
ton OF the measure. Commissioner
NJ. r. Rudgren alone opposed the ord
nance outright. His opposition to-
the measure was voiced by Commits
sloner Rudgren from various angles
In opening his attack on the bin he
said:
81 am opposed to this ordinance for
one thing because Of my firm belief
that In It's present form # does not
meet the situation existing in Rock
Island
~ am opposed TO It for the reason,
TOO, that il lays TOO much stress on
the situation from a sanitary stand
point.
Il am also opposed to the measure
because of the fact that it will penal
lie the law-abiding citizens and have
the effect of taking the sale Of certain
commodities out OF the hands Of the
little neighborhood groceries and CIV
ing them over entirely to the big fell
lows. l know it to be a fact that there
are many little groceries In Rock Is
land which handle soda water merely
as an accommodation to their custom
ers, selling only very limited amount
and receiving a small financial return
therefrom. This ordinance Is bound
to penalize the citizens conducting
these little places, for, according to
the provision Of the measure. the soda
water or pop as il Is called cannot be
sold unless license, involving the
sum OF 81 a year, is taken out. 1t
will really amount TO taking the soda
pop business out of the hands of these
small groceries. Not only that. but
this ordinance takes in flayoring ex-
tracts, commodity handled by prac-
tically every grocery in the city, nc
matter how small or large, and sold
for domestic purposes, Sale Of such
extracts as they pow have on theft
shelves would, according to the meas
ure before us, necessitate the procur-
ing Of a license before doing So"
Let them get license what's $!
year, spoke up Commissioner Juhl
ignoring the interruption, Commits
sioner RudgFen continued ut would
compel those groceries to get a license
or to quit handling those extracts"
Here Commissioners Liedtke anC
Murrin Joined with Commissioner
Rudgren- by agreeing that the pro
vision of the measure that touched OF
the sale OF flavoring extracts, boil
declaring there was no reason VIII,
the ordin ance should have anythin,
In II that would interfere with thu
sale of extracts which were used il
making cakes and such things.
Mayor MGConochie then offered thu
opinion tina the provision of the res
olution dealing with extracts coul,
be stricken. in which Commissioner
Juhl, Murrtn. and Liedtke concurred.
Canon lage. Says Rudgren.
Going further in his attack on tn
measure, Commissioner Rudgren de
clared the ordinance was only a bi
OF camoufnge as far as It's effective
ness toward getting the bootlegger
was concerned.
Perhaps | may be wrong, but /
appears to rae that IL should not be
hard task to get these bootleggers il
Rock Island, for which purpose yol