Republican farmer., 1919-08-22
''WETS" LOOK FOR WAR TIME BAN
 TO BE RAISED
October Contests to See "Wet" and Dry" Advo-
 cates Locking Horns.
ELECTIONS HELD
 IN MANY TOWNS
Victory For "Wets" May Give Chance For Short
 Time Cleanup.

Hartford. Aug. 21-Hhe office of the secretary of .he state is making plans to send out to the 155 towns in Connecticut which will hold their annual town meetings the first Mon day in October, the official ballot ! required for the election, where the towns do not use voting machines. Incidentally Deputy Secretary Rich ard ]. Dwyer said yesterday that he intends to send the license and mo- license ballots. too, even though no intoxicating liquor Is being legally sold in the state at present. It is ex- pected however, that rne wartIme prohibition ba will be lifted by a proclamatio from President Wilson in time to give the hquor dealers an opportunity to cater to the holiday trade in November and December.
 Just how many towns in the state will vote on the license question tliis year is probIematical Some will, and some won't. It all depends on hn" the voters feel about it. It is known that in some towns the question will make one of the hottest fights ia years. because if the towns go wet the saloons may open until Janu- ary Is, 1920, anyway, and reap a
 
 they do pay their $750 license fee, part of that money will be refunded to them, in the event of their clos ing in January. The prohibitionists in many of the towns want a vote on the question, too. as they say that the voting will show the majority or the people favor prohibition, and will show 1t at the polls.
 The wet advocates on the other hand, also want a test vote, as their contention is that the majority favor the opening of the saloons, and will so voice their feelings at the polls, Undoubtedly there will be several towns where a vote will be taken on this important question at this time. The "wets" on one hand, have every thing to win and but little to lose, as they have lost practically every thing now. If they win. 1t means that they will have 0 chance to make "clean-up," for a couple of months anyway from present indications.
 The majority of the towns hold town elections every year. on the first Monday in October. Of the 16S towns in the state, 143 hold annual town elections on that date, and this year the biennial elections will be held on the same day in Beth1e, Cromwell, Danbury, Meriden. Milford, Norwalk, Norwich, Orange, Voluntown, Water bury, Wilimantic and Winchester. Some of these towns, however rare ly vote on the license question.
 Chapter 16 of the Public Acts of 1919, makes provision for refund of money due to saloonkeepers, pro viding the sale of liquor is stopped, in the following words:-
 within sixty days from the date when 1t shall become unlawful to en- gage in the sale of spiritual and in toxicating liquors. the county com missioners in each county shall certi- fy to the comptroller the amount of money due to the licenses and to holders of club certificates in their respectice counties. from the date when 1t shall become unlawful to en- gage in tho sale of such liquors to the end of the license year. and the amount SO to be certified shall bear such proportion to the total amount paid by such commissioners in each county to the comptroller as the un- expired portion of tho license year bears to the entire license period. A ifISs oertiflcation shall be made by the commissioners to the treasurer ot each town where any license shall have been granted during the current license year and tho comptroller and each such treasurer shall pay Co tho commissioners the amount so shown to he due.
 Upon tho surrender of his licens' by any uccnsee or by the holder of q club certificate upon determination by the attorney general that the sale or dispensing liquor by the authority of such license or club certificate ha! become unlawful, the commissioner shall reimburse such licensees, or hold CT, in an amount bearing such pro portion to the total license fee paiC as the unexpired portion of the Iicens, var bars to tn total priod for, year bears to the total period fo which such licenses or certificates was granted. The county commission CTS of any county may borrow sucl amount of money as may be necessar, to reimburse such licensees. or certi ficate holders, in the amount due [, them respectively under the provi slons of this act"