New-York tribune., 1919-05-12
Also 1908, $50 Square Feet
of Floor Space Will Be
for Rent at 40 Per Cent
Less Than Is Now Paid
Bartenders Are Unhappy
Their Sales Methods Not Cal
culated to Get Them Other
Good Jobs, They Say

Unless President Wilson declares the
period Of demobilization ended before
July every saloon in the United
States must close on that day. There
are 6,955 drinking places in New York
City the proprietcrs of which are con-
templating the effects on themselves
of this war emergency law, which
threatens to end the manufacture and
sale of alcoholic beverages six and
half months in advance of the Federal
prohibition amendment to the Consti-
tuition.
While there are $685. drinking places
in New York City to-day these figures
night in the greater city the lights in
some saloons go out for the last time.
One by one the keepers of barrooms
are quitting.
In 1916 there were 1o,357 drinking
places in New York City, one to every
515 persons, including babies. Only
6,955 remain. Not drink and the
devil have done for the rest" but those
war time bogies-taxes, high costs of
materials, including the glasses in
which the liquor is served, wages and
restrictions shutting off the patronage
os men in uniform.
Que Thousand and Fifty-five Hotel Bars
These have combined to put out of
business 3,402 drinking places in New
York. Of those that survive 1856 are
connected with hotels or restaurants
and $500 are just saloons. In addi-
tion to these there are 679 stores where
liquor is sold not to be drunk on the
premises, and 290 pharmacists where
liquor is sold on prescription. These
figures were tabulated by the State Ex-
else Department.
Thirty-four thousand bartenders and
saloon porters will be thrown out of
work in New York City July 1, or, if
the President intervenes, on January
is, 1920. Many of them have grown
old in this bushes, until they feel
more. timid about trying to earn liv-
ing for themselves and their families
in any other occupation. What are they
going to do?
The proprietors of the saloons Of
New York City--and William McClena-
han, former head of the New York Re-
tail Liquor Dealers Association, esti-
mates that there are at least 5000 of
these--also will have to seek a new
means of livelihood. What will they
do? The barrooms occupy many Of the
choicest corners, from real estate
standpoint, in New York. What sort of
tenants will take their place?
Their Methods Are Their Own
Most bartenders simply echo the
question about themselves by asking:
What can we do? ew of us ever
shave done anything else butetend bar.
Standing long hours behind the bar
has broken down the arches of our
feet. Consequently many Of us are
fat-footed. Our hands are soft and
tender from frequent immersion in
water. We are statesmen, but what
other commodity requires our selling
DR.. George ". Kirchwey, state di-
ment Service, does not view seriously
the dumping Of approximately 10000
men on the labor market
This is not an enormous NUMBER" !"
he says. every week 100000 men are
being placed by the United States en-
ployment service. We shall be able to
offer these men a great variety of op-
portunities. There isn't even need for
a special department to handle their
case: The existing machinery will be
ample, I believe.
After all, bartender is salesman
he can sell beer he can sell some
thing else. He works behind counter
in saloon. What is to prevent him
from working behind counter in an
other kind Of store? 2"
Candy and Soft Drinks
There is plenty Of evidence from
Western states that have gone dry in
the past to bear out DR.. Kirchwey. In
Minnesota many ambidexterous bar
tenders, who could WELD a bungstarter
in one hand while they shook a cock
tail in the other before that state went
dry, now sell candy and soft drinks.
AS for the saloon proprietors, Will
lam McClenahan, whose cafe is in 1853
Seventh Avenue, is as good a spokes-
man as any.
First and foremost, Mr.. McClenahan
doesn't believe the saloons will he
closed July /. To support his belief he
quotes the contentious of Elihu Root
and William D. Guthrie that the war is
over. The Sheppard amendment to the
agricultural bill of 1913 provided that
there should be total prohibition until
the war was over; that fact to be pro-
claimed by the President, and also
until after demoblization; that fact
also to be proclaimed by the President,
Mr.: McClenahan believes the President
Will save the day-at least until Janu-
ary 16, when the Federal prohibition
amendment to the Constitution be-
comes effective. But as for the saloon
keepr, Mr.. McClenahan says those that
have bundle" need not worry. Those
that have not must start over again as
best they can.
The Real Estate Problem
The real estate problem is already
bothering many OF the persons con-
cerned. When all the drinking places
In New York are closed there will be.
roughly estimated, 8,693.750 square
feet OF hoor SPACE tanantIess Tb;o ;s
on the assumption that the average
saloon occupies storeroo:n 25xho
feet. Real estate men do not believe