Evening star., 1933-12-14
AUGUSTA IS TORN
OvERL|QUOR SALES
Civic UpheavaI Brings Cries
Of "Anarohy" and "End
of Hypocrisy"
ny the Associated Press.

ny the Associated Press.
AUGUSTA, Ga, December IA
municipal ordinance to license the sale
Of liquor here has given rise to a civic
upheaval in which dry and wet con-
troversalists vie in shouting anarchy"
and ''the end of hypocracy."
Prohibitionists roared their approval
In a mass meeting when Rev. M. M.
MacFerrin, Presbyterian clergyman,
summed up their conteition in this
manner:
"This ordinance violates the twenty
first amendment to the United States
Constitution, which protects dry States
from liquor shipped from we States, and
Il Is anarchy. We have councilnnen who
are willing to put our city forward as an
anarchist, but they have no right to
take that position for you and me-"
There are at least 200 speakeasies in
Augusta" Councilman r. E. Allen. jr.,
retalied. "The council does not legalise
whiskey but recognizes and licenses
conditions which already exist"
Court Hearing Tomorrow.
Thus the displte RACES pending a
court hearing tomorrow. when Judge A.
L. Franklin will decide whether to
make a permanent or temporary in
junction against the ordinance.
The controversy IS laid in a city
Known for its wet traditions and the
will to have liquor sold openly irre-
1x Lot,
In the face Of Georgia's sweeping
prohibition sentiment which brought
Statewide dry laws in 1907, Augusta
remained an avowed wet
Liquor shops in other cities closed
their doors, but here the council
promptly issued licenses to so-called
near-beer saloons with the urwritten
understanding that they could sell near
beer or anything else they saw fit With
out fear of police hindrance.
And so for 10 years liquor Of all
sorts wss bought across the bar and
drunk openly. OF course there were
protests and threats OF court action on
the part of the drys here and else
where. But nobody ever seemed to get
around to doing anything very definite
about it.
War Experience.
The city encountered its first expert
cnce with prohibition enforcement in
1917. With the outbreak of the World
War, the Army built Camp Hancock
here and the officers soon found their
recruoits were spending more time than
was best, perhaps, IN Broad streets
numerous saloons.
Forthwith orders came from the War
Department to close the saloons and
thus ended Augustus drinking above
board.
But just as much drinking went on
9s ever, said Councilman Allen. The
saloons merely moved from street level
floors to second stories and continued
selling with scarcely the loss of a days
business.
Federal Cleanup Fails.
About two years ago Federal prohi-
bition officers interested themselves In
trying to clean up" Augusta. Local
police co-operated to the extent of
telling them just how many speakeasies
there were and where they could be
located.
Accordingly, the liquor business went
sn hiding for a few weeks. But shortly
after the Federal raiders departed, be-
Neving their job completed, the speak,
easies were back at the same old stands.
Last June the council took the bull
by the horns and licensed the sale OF
80 beer, although Georgia's bone dry
Law prohibitions the sale or possession
Of any beverage Of alcoholic content.