The sun., 1919-07-05
CITY GOOD NATURED
IN SPITE OF THIRST
Fairly Strict Observance Of
the Liquor Law Marks
Fourth Here.
BIG SALE OF NEAR BEER
Only War Time Brew Will Be
Offered by Monday-Prices
Continue to Rise.

New York wllted It's way through its
hrst arid Independence Day yesterday
with fair display Of good nature. II
seemed strange to many not to be able
to toast the occasion in a rickey or q
Julep, but on the whole there was a
pretty general observation of the new
law. as far as hard liquor and wines
were concerned. There was plenty of
near beer consumed, but the patriotic
thrills that came from indulgence in this
beverage were exceedingly mild. The
ice cream and soft drink places reported
a record days business.
As result of the arrests made By
Department OF Justice men and the no
lice on Thursday hard liquor was con-
siderably harder to get yesterday than
during the nrst few days of the laws
operation. Most of the downtown cafes
mat cater to business men were closed
all day and many Of them will remain
closed till Monday. The proprietors said
that they would lose money II they kept
open for the sale OF a few glasses of
beer. A few more OF the uptown hotels
lacked the price Of the AIS STUFF UP an
other notch, and in the larger and more
expensive places Is cents was the pre-
yailing price for n schooner. and in q
few places the ante called for was 20
cents.
"sell Beer only IL Order.
Several saloon. keepers who read yes
ttrday morning OF the arrest OF proprie-
tors and bartenders for selling port wine
Issued orders yesterday to their. help to
suspend sale Of everything except beer
In few places II was possible yester-
day for person who was known to get
highball, but In most cases the drink
was made under the bar and the patron
requested not to linger over the libation.
The result was that much of the induce
ment for sociable drinking disappeared
1t was said yesterday that Monday
morning in all probability will find New
York almost entirely confined to the sale
or the war time beer. One by one the
dealers who since Monday have been
selling the hard stun more or less pro-
miscuously are coming TO the conclusion
that to do so is to take too much Of a
chance. While State and municipal laws
are frequently winked at or ignored alto
gether, so far as the regulation Of the
sale Of liquor Is concerned. most saloon
men have a wholesome respect for the
Federal officials and the law
William II. Anderson, superintendent
OF the Anti-Saloon League. In a state
ment yesterday said there was no dis
position on the part of the league
omcials TO let up in the campaign for
enforcement OF the law and that the
work OF organization to this end was
being pushed. Mr.. Anderson said:
The statement that the Anti-Saloon
League is going to allow the LIQUOR
trafic to furnish law enforcement mater
fal and make sentiment IN favor of law
enforcement does not mean that the
league Is letting up.
while the legislative department OF
the Anti-Saloon League is busy with
reference to the next Assembly. and the
law enforcement department is manu-.
featuring munitions and weapons. the
organization department Is working
overtime organising divisions OF the
allied citizens" There are already
moro calls for assistance of the State
organizers IN the various communities
than can be taken care OF Immediately
by any stan that present funds permit.
The financial department OF the league
Is busy raising funds to push the orEani-
zation work. The league Is gratified
by the fact that the subscriptions at
church services and in small amounts
in May and June were by far the
greatest in the history of the league.
These subscriptions have almost doubled
those OF the same months last year.
indicating the widespread and intense
Receipts Fall Heavily.
At the Waldorf where the 275 beer
was being sold for 20 cents a glass
1. was said yesterday that the average
daily receipts had fallen from $500
to 500 as a result OF stopping the sale
OF hard liquor.
War beer at the increased prices
does not appeal. This fact is proved
by the apparent efforts of some of the
larger hotels to stimulate Its sale. AT
the Belmont and the Biltmore the old
fashioned free lunch OF cold ham, salads.
| etc. that became a memory when war
broke out and food prices Began to
soar. was again in evidence. At other
places, notably Mouquin's. the manage
! ment permitted the walters and guests
to get laugh over the laws incon-
| sistencies. When bottled beer was asked
for It was frequently served In a
champagne bucket, the bottled iced and
wrapped in a napkin and decanted with
all the ceremonial nicely that usually
attaches TO the opening OF the bubbly