Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1917-11-03
Revolutionizing a Business.

II the members of the Rock Island
LIQUOR Dealers association observe
in fun the conditions Of q resolution
they adopted at their meeting at Tur-
ner hall yesterday afternoon they
shall have gone long way toward
saving their business from federal de-
for with strict enforcement
OF the newly proclaimed regulations 1t +
ought to be impossible for a United I
States soldier in uniform to obtain IN
toxicating liquor Ia this city. SGeh an /
assurance q all that the federal gov !
erament has asked.
. The saioonkeepers, brewers ana /
wholesale liquor dealers have come
together in a pledge which, II ad- /
hered TO. will better control The liquor
traffic than ever before IN the history
of Rock Island or Of any other city for
that matter. AS one saleonkeeper
puts it, 1T was either half loaf or
none with as" He said that he saw
with others that il some drastic meas
ures we're NOT enacted the entire bust
ness would be wiped out Promises
would not count for anything. The
dealers had to demonstrate to the sat
isfaction Of the government authori-
ties that soldiers in uniform could no
longer obtain intoXicsnts in this city
So the whole membership Of the as
ISOLATION, embracing the brewer, the
Wholesale liquor dealer and the re-
taller entered into compact for
complete revolution OF their way OF
doing business. Hereafter the saloon
/ keeper will not sell any drink for con-
sumption outside his bar That is,
you can't purchase bottle OF whisky
or a bottle of beer in q saloon to carry
away with you. The only way you
can carry il out now is inside your
skin. The wholesale liquor merchant
has agreed to drop the private Gus
toner and to sell only TO the retailer,
otherwise the salo0nkeeper The
brewer has promised that he viii de-
liver beer only to the retailer and to
the homes Of reputable citizens. He
says that the bootlegger or the dive
can't hereafter purchase beer at local
1 agencies
If the liquor men are acting in good
faith. and it is only fair to presume
that they are, for they must know that
. il one violates the agreement it may
, spell disaster for all OF them, they
have a right TO insist that the police
officials give necessary cooperation II
d the permanent suppression Of the
o dive II is said that in the past few
nights operators Of disorderly resorts
which are extensive dispensers Of in
toxicating drinks. have been ordered
by the police department to close. This
is also meeting the spirit Of the de
' mand Of the federal government, for
! did not specify whether a saloon or al
underworld dive was meant when i
! said the practice Of selling drink t
soldiers must cease. 1t said that al
places where liquor was dispensed
located within FIVE miles of Rock Is
land arsenal, would be suppressed
The dive must not only be forced gu
OF commission, bat it must be elimi
mated permanently, and not allowed t
reopen after period OF inactivity t
. give the public the impression that
3 has disappeared. These vacated house
ttllb bt hStA ~ ACCOMMODATING cUi1it Z
d.. the workmen's families coming her
: daily.
The liquor dealers association is t
:. employ two detectives to see that tn
=, rules laid down in the resolution jus
!, enacted are respected by the entir
r membership. When a violation is dis
, covered il is said that the full limit {
q penalization will be asked of the mum
q cipality. Let the Hquor men tax
, care Of themselves. which they sa
"a they are competent of doing, and the
= will afford more time TO the police t
n keep on the trail Of the dive restam
If ant and the houses Of prostitution,
h all of which liquors are sold. TIL
10 chief thing to do IS to clean up, an
g Immediately at that Ii the Poop
.v most interested don't do it the g0'
-e eminent will. And the governmei
has a peculiar faculty for doing ju
n what it promises when its mandat,
S. are not respected. But it does look
Id if the liquor dealers were to make d
IN honest effort to respect the govern
k. ments wishes. Therefore they a.
ID entitled to aid of the police in keepir
IN clean those portions of the city infes
S. ed by vicious resorts which have I
" connection with the licensed liqut
err traffic.