Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1918-02-19
Survey Being Made to Show
How Many are to Be Put
Out Of Business.
ORDERS GIVEN AGENT
AS Soon as Area Affected is
Outlined Places Will Be
Shut Down.

Saloon and wholesale liquor houses
in Rock Island within one-half mile OF
government arsenal property will be
closed within a day or two.
A department Of justice operative
made this known today. A survey is
being made by government engineers
this afternoon to mark off the area
affected.
1t is believed from a rough sur
yey made that Sc saloons will be
compelled to close.
1t is believed that 20, wholesale
liquor houses will be hit by the
order.
1t is believed that 50 saloons
will be permitted to remain open.
1t is believed that 10 wholesale
liquor houses do not come in the
affected area.
All houses of ill-repute will be
closed within five miles of arsenal.
CONSERVATION was thrown into the
men engaged in retail and wholesale
liquor business last night when an Of
fetal of the Rock Island County
Liquor Dealers Protective associa-
ton was shown a telegram received
by the federal agent from the depart
ment of justice in Washington order
ing survey made of Rock Island
within one-half mile of Rock Island
arsenal property with view Of clos
ing the saloons.
Closing Long Threatened.
The news spread like wildfire the
bar rooms being well filled with pa
irons when the announcement went
out. Prohibition of sales of liquor
within a fixed boundary had been
threatened before as a result of the
fact that soldiers at the arsenal were
seen intoxicated on the streets Sa-
loonkeepers said at the time they
took measures to prevent alley boot
Logging in November by stopping the
sale of bottled goods, that they antici-
pated that the government would in
tervene The majority of saloonkeep-
ers in Rock Island were con-
scientious about the resolution they
passed and the sale of bottle goods
was stopped for period Of about a
week in many of the bars. When it
was seen by them, however, that some
Of the retailers refused to observe the
order in letter and spirit, and that
charges were made that wholesale
dealers continued to sell bottled goods
in small amounts, they ignored the
order and all saloons went back to
selling bottled goods.
City Gives Help.
The city administration made an en-
deavor to stop bootlegging to soldiers
by passing soft drink license ordin-
ance, licensing all soft drink parlors
in the city. However, the alley boot
logger continued to do a thriving bus
mess. The saloon parasites, the men
who lie around bars and beg drinks
and live off the free lunch counters,
are the ones against whom the charg-
es were made by the liquor dealers as
being responsible for the conditions
in the city regarding the sale of Ii
quor to soldiers.
The orders which came to the de-
partment of justice agent here were
rather in the way of informing him
that the survey is being made, and
causing him to prepare to inform the
liquor dealers that they are to close
when the government survey is COM
pleted. The survey is being made from
official government records which
show the property over which the gov
eminent has jurisdiction from Rock
Island arsenal.
The government orders come as
result of the power given President
Wilson in the selective CONSUMPTION
act for the regulation of the sale of
liquor near army camps and posts.
The president is empowered to close
all saloons and dives within a radius
Of five miles OF any army camp or
post, provided that within corporate
municipal limits the area be within
five miles Of the government property.
Many Troops on Island.
At Rock Island arsenal there are
usually between one thousand and fiji
teen hundred soldiers. Reports to
government authorities concerning
conditions here probably emanated
from one Of the following sources:
The Fosdick commission, which made
Investigation Of all army camps and
posts.
The United States secret service.
The department Of justice.
The army intelligence bureau.
The navy intelligence bureau.
Officials of Rock Island arsenal.
Various civic organizations in Rock
Island.
Although the orders affect all dives
IN the city, the five-mile limit being
applied to houses of ill-repute, local
officials declared today that immoral
places have kept closed through a
continuous drive for months.
NOTICE TO SOCIALIST VOTERS.
Socialist voters of Rock Island
there will be mass meet
ing Feb. rs, 1918. at s p. m, at Work
man Circle Hall, 7l8 Eighth street, for
the purpose Of nominating the follow
ing officers. The township election
will be held In April
OFFICERS.
One supervisor.
Enur ccictont cunopufcnrc