Norwich bulletin., 1917-03-02
BILLS CONCERN REPEAL
 OF CLUB LAWS
Debate Tended to Strengthen Present
 Law Rather Than Appeal. =

Debate Tended to Strengthen Present Law Rather Than Appeal. = The excise committee gave hearing Thursday afternoon on the bills con corning the repeal of the club laws. which were largely attended. But the debate tended to strengthen the pres ent law rather than repeal:
 H. c. Spooner stated that a stuA was made of the club question in the legislature of 1915. and told the com n1ittee in detail of the club history; and that it was a sort of compromise, and unsatisfactory to all. but 1t was the best that could be agreed upon. Now there are 2sS of these liquor clubs in the state.
 MT. Brown of Milford. said the clubs
 more and he favored some amend
 ment. Now it is unsatisfactory to everybody. He was opposed to a wild cat saloon to oppose a regular licensed saloon, but he had no objection to the
 license of any bona. fide club. The clu bs in his town turn out more drunl<s on
 a Sunday than the other saloons of
 the town. He favored riddance of
 these wild cat clubs.
 Mir Holt of New London did not op-
 pose license to bona fide clubs. but he
 took no stock in the law at present
 administered, especially in regard to
 clubs whose sole purpose was the sale
 of liquor. He read the law to show
 that even the present law was not re-
 spected in the granting of club cer- stificates. He believed the selection of
 these clubs was within the power of
 the county commissioners but they
 were commanded to establish whether
 the club was bona fide. The number
 of Is out of the 29 club certificates
 were located in New London. He
 stated that licensed saloons pay $50
 year license, with all it's restraints,
 but the clubs pay s100 and do 9, retail
 liquor business and without any re-
 StrictionS. These clubs not So
 cial organization, drinking places. sim
 ply that and nothing more. He be-
 lieyed the proper enforcement of law
 was up to the county commissioners
 and he believed the law was intended
 to protect the bona fide club. He sug-
 gested a measure he thought would
 cover the point, was that a club make
 application to the superior court, be
 given a hearing and the genuineness
 of theFclub, and then the commission
 CTS could grant.
 Mayor Ernest E. Rogers of New London favored the talk of MT. Holt.
 He had mo special complaint to make
 against the licensed liquor dealers in
 New London. The city is ever-ridden
 with bogus clubs and he would like a change in the law. A repeal would be an injustice to bona hde social clubs.S He would not advocate the raising of the club fee to S75o. but he did not object to the bona fde social club. Last month a so-called club was raided by the state police, and it was shown the club held no certificate, and had not paid for any. but that the commissioners or someone else Ina d sent the $25 to Hartford and was in the capitol awaiting claimant When the persons raided were in court they were discharged as they held certff- cates.
 J. J. O'Dcnnell, representing the New Haven Lodgs of Elks, said his club believed in the upiift of the club h- quor license. and added that there were key clubs holding certificates and they ought to be closed
 Hadlai A. Hull of New London, state attorney for the county, said he be-
 ieved a plan could be arranged which would be just to nearly all concerned. tionists, or those opposed to liquor in clubs, even in bona fide clubs. Remove the law from the books and any num- Der ot persons can get together from club. help themselves and put the cash in the till, and not violate law. as it would not constitute a sale. He told of a, man who was being tried for crime in court. ESho applied for and received a club certificate. and he was later sent to the penitentiary. No one has ever found fault with the EIks and Thames club. and there were many clubs of a distinctly opposite type. The proprietor of 9 New Lon don certified club was a professional gambler and kept 3. gambling place in this club room When the police rsi1ed the place s2o was found on the table and that is the cash that awaits a claimant in Hartford. He said the law in regard to clubs should be what 1t is intended to be. When 3 town votes license the town is entitled to have license and these bona f1de social clubs. and there should be more re- stTictions. He suggested that the holders of club certificates. who in dulge in gambling in the club rooms, be prosecuted under a law for gamb- ling and not be shielded by a club certificate. The county commission CTS, sheriff or police may enter clubs and ascertain how clubs are conduct ed, be inspected as are the saloons. MT. Hull said the cIubman ought to be satisfied to be able to get drinks at the club during the same hours as are observed by law respecting saloons. That would stop the sale on Sunday and 'after hours" This will cut out the spurious, the fake. the key club, the dollar-key club, where the fellow gets his dollar entry fee returned. He wanted it so that the genuine bona fide social club could survive and the spu- r1ous club squeiched. The real clubs ought to make concession for the good and welfare of all and aid in putting the bogus clubs out of existence. There were four key-clubs in New London before the present law be- came effective.
 Herman J. Weistmenn, of Waterbury said that evidently the conditions in New London are due to the non-ac- ton of the county commissioners There Is no need for a repeal Of the law, for before the law there were at least 1000 blind tigers. In Waterbury there are perhaps twenty bona fide | social clubs, and he was not in favor o6 any of the remedial suggestions that had been offered He believed. the pro- per thing would be to bring action for tnemcfency of the county commission CTS of New London. No bona f1de club ought to object to police inspection, | that is under the law the sher1n or deputy may visit clubs for that pur4 | pose. He opposed the suggestion that | would put the liquor club, the social | cfub. on the same hourly basis of sa- | looms That was all too drastic. and |