Norwich bulletin., 1921-02-19
WOULD LIMIT DRUG STORES


The need of strict ,2ws to prevent form
er saloon keepers from resuming their
trade under the guise of druggists and
Of statutes to raise the standard of the
drug profession as high of those of
surrounding states, was presented. to the
legislative committee on public health
and safety at the capitol at Hartford on
Thursday. The discussion conferred around
senate bill 4o4 and was directed bv
Judge G. B. Garrison of Middletown and
several of the leading druggists ,of the
state.
The bill provides. among other things
that after January, 1928, all licensed
druggists must have a high school edu-
cation or its equivalent and after JAN
uary, 1925, I'll must have graduated from
a college of pharmacy. The section does
not apply to pharmacists who are at
present licensed or to present students.
Section eight Of the bill limits the
number of drug stores in any community
to one for each 5000 inhabitants. ex-
cept that no existing drug store shall be
refused license and new ones shall be
permitted to do business where great
inconvenience to a considerable num-
Der Of persons can be proved. even
though the ratio of one to 5000 might
be exceeded.
argued that the druggists. under the pres-
ent unlimited system had no protection
from inscriptions competition Judge
Carlson said that the temptation for the
former saloon keepers to 90 into the drug
business so that they might sell "hootch"
and alcohol in one form or another was
very great and that many of them were
applying for drug licenses with no other
| purpose in view
| Fl. II. Spooner OF Kepsington. secretary
| OF the Connecticut Temperance Union.
| spoke in favor of the bill and said that
! the only way in which the honest. law
| abiding druggist could be protected was
| by some such plan of restriction as was
contemplated in section eight Of the
measure under consideration. Mr.. Spoon.
| er declared that he had always urged
restriction of saloons so that those who
were in the business might be held te
| high commercial standards.
More than hundred former saIoo,
keepers who used to oppose the restric
ton idea have come to me in the pas
six months and declared that If they
| had been willing to limit the number
ants. they would be doing business a,
usual today" declared Mr.. Spooner.
Mayor H. NJ. Lerou of Norwich, secre
tary of the state beard of pharmacy. saiC
that he favored the restriction of drue
stores and any other measure that would
raise the standards of his occupation
He said that as things were at present
it was impossible for a druggist to trair
a young man entering his employ.
The young man entering a drug store
today" said he, seldom gets away from
the soda fountain and the result is thai
ne learns very little about the drug bust
ness"
Mr.. Lerou further said that IL Con.
necticut did not do something to rails,
the standards in the drug business man,
other states would refuse to honor drug
gists' licenses issued here At preen
there was system of reciprocity be
tween Connecticut any many other state,
nut this could not, be kept up if we con
tinue to let booze sellers and dope mer
chants work under druggists licenses
he said.
p. j. Garvin of Middletown and S. p
d. Williams of the New Haven Associa tic,
or Druggists, urged the passage of tn
bill. Mr.. Williams declared that importa
. tons of opium had increased threefol
! since prohibition went into effect an
said that unless this state raised tn
standards necessary to obtain a druggists
license, it would become a center for il
legal traffic in booze and dope.
4 Representative F. NJ Smith Of Wind
ham offered the only opposition to IN
bill. He said that he wished to 20 o.
record as opposing its provisions and d.
clared that in his opinion not twenty
. I'VE per cent of The druggists CT tn
: state had any idea of what was bein
proposed in this measure