Wausau pilot. [volume] (Wausau, Wis.) 1896-1940, 1921-07-28
PROHIBITION LAW
TO BE ENFORCED
THIRTY DAYS OF GRACE
ARE UP AUGUST
FIRST


forcement act Geo. j. Leicht, district
attorney, says, This law is going to
be enforced after the thirty days of
grace are up, which will be August
/. There is some question about the
definition of the term bar as used in
this act, and the matter will be open
to argument until it is settled by jul
dicial determination. A test case will
doubtless be tried for this purpose
In the matter of screens and obstruc-
tions the law is clear and from the
inquiries that have been coming into
this office it is my opinion that the
saloon owners of Wausau will have all
such screens removed by the first of
August so as to comply with the law"
Puzzling Parts
Mr.. Leicht received a circular from
the state prohibition commissioner
giving that departments definition of
some, of the puzzling parts of the new
law. The section which seems to
give rise to the most of the questions
is section thirty, which reads in part
as follows:
mo person having license for the
sale of notwithstanding beverages to
be sold for consumption. upon the
premises where sold, shall maintain
standing bar or counter of any de-
scription at which any such drinks or
beverages are consumed in the place
or room covered by such license, and
no stall, booth, or other enclosure of
any kind in or connected with such
place or room shall be maintained, and
the windows and doors of any such
place or room shall be unobstructed by
screens, blinds, paint or other articles
/ so that clear and unobstructed view
of the interior of said place or room
from the outside may at all times
be had"
Object Of Law
In regard to the object of the stat
ute, according to the prohibition COM
missioner, it Seems to be to open the
place, where notwithstanding liquors
are sold under a license, to public
view, and to do away with the atmos-
phere of the former saloon" The
standing bar" term which is used in
the law, is not as clear as it should
be. 1t has been scontended by some
that all bars should be removed How
ever, as the statute uses the term
standing bar or counter" it seems to
me that the idea of the lawmakers
was to remove from the place where
notwithstanding liquors are sold the
standing bar ordinarily used in sa-
looms at which parties consumed the
liquor while standing at the bar or
counter from which it was sold
believe these standing bars should be
removed. / do not believe, however,
that it is necessary to remove all
counters, so long as the liquor sold
from the counter is not consumed
while standing or sitting at the coun-
ter. The place may be provided with
tables at which persons can sit while
consuming the non-intoxicating liq-
uors. 1t does not in express terms pro-
hibit the sale of such liquor at coun-
ter so long as the purchaser is not
permitted to consume the same at the
said counter or bar"
On Licenses
In regard to the question of licenses
raised by some, the commissioner
letter says, There is no provision
in said Chapter AL, making it unlaw-
full to sell Notwithstanding liquors
without a license. The last sentence,
No such liquor shall be sold or kept
for sale for consumption on the prem
ises where sold without such license
simply makes it unlawful to sell or
keep for sale for consumption on the
premises notwithstanding liquors un-
less a person has been granted Ii
cense by the municipality"
But in the application of this to or
binary ice cream parlors where sodas
and pop are sold and whether these
come under this act he states thus:
This must be answered in the mega
tive. A license is only required to
sell notwithstanding liquors. and any
beverage that does not contain alco-
hol can be sold without a license.
Since there is no alcohol in sodas and
pop, they may. therefore, be sold with
out license"
In questioning the use Of stalls or
booths such as are used i'm ice cream
parlors with one side open II is the
commissioners opinion that these
would come within the definition of
the enclosures or obstructions pro-
hibited by the act because they pre-
vent clear and unobstructed view Of
fha roopa