Republican farmer., 1919-07-04
HARD LIQUOR TAB00ED
 BUT BEER IS SOLD IN
 SALOONS OF THE CITY
MANY LIQUOR DEALERS LEARNING NEWS OF ATTY. GENERALS DECISION THIS MORNING WILL RESUME BUSINESS
 SOMETIME THIS AFTERNOON

Most of the saloons in this city took advantage of the eleventh hour decision of the department of justice which eXempts beer from the list of forbidden beverages and open ed up for business today. Early this morning the bravest swung wide their doors and as the day went on others fol- lowing their example began to do business and by nightfall the majority of the cafes were selling beer to thirsty cus- toners over the bars. Many dealers not realizing at first the respite offered in Attorney General Palmer's decision, did not open until late in the day.
 Beverages of 2.75 per cent alcohol fc content only were on sale by the drink and they offered the only con- solation obtainabIe ir Bridgeport to the friends of hard liquor on the first day of wartime prohibition.
 Pending court decisions or action by Congress defining intoxicating bev- erages, sale of the light drinks will be permitted in wet states until Jan. 16, when constitutional prohibition will be effective. Other than this the only ray of comfort left the anti-pro- hiDltiOniStS iS the n nF +i, when President Wilson will declare dem obilization of the army complete, which automatically would suspend operation of the war time act until Jan. 16.
 ''1 am going to open my place at 12 o'clock" said Thomas F. Flynn, head of the Bridgeport Liquor Deal CTS Association, this morning. "Of course all We can sell is beer or soda and that is all that can be shown on the bar"
 Asked if the majority of the cafes were to open MT. lynn asserted he thought they would and also that most of them would remain open for @ time. This matter is before Con- gress now,' he said. and until a defi- mite decision is reached under the rul- ing of the Department of Justice we are permitted to sell beer. If anyone has whiskey or hard stuff of that character he should put 1t in boxeS in his cellar for it cannot be displayed in the saloon"
 Open bars, where beverages of 2.75 per cent. alcoholic content could be purchased by the drink, offered the only consolation obtainable in Bridge port today to the friends of hard liquor on the first day of wartime pro- hibition.
 Cafes, restaurants and liquor stores, who, in many instances, were virtual ly depleted of their stocks of the so- called heavy liquids when the law went into effect at midnight, inform ed their customers that, until further notice, the stronger varieties of drink would not be sold. Heavy buying of bottled goods for private consumption in the dry days to come marked the passing of hard liquor" and throughout the city last few hours the unrestricted sale of all bev- erages were ushered out with hilarity and much drinking, as if it were contest of how much could be con- sumed in the brief period remaining before the dry period set in.
 Except for an occasional funeral party the crowds in the streets gave little evidence of the historic event, but inside the popular restaurants. clubs and inns the celebrations were attended by more lively scenes and as long as the long drinks could be obtained the celebrators bought fast and lavishly.
 What little hope the distillers, brewers, saloon keepers, and liquor dealers may have had up to last night that something would happen to fur ther postpone the advent of the great dry spell'' was dashed aside when '. they analysised the opinion of Attor- ney General Palmer.
 Many saloons had sold their grade stocks of whisky and other intoxi- cants before the day was half over, but kept their business going during the evening by diluting the little they had.