The Waterbury Democrat., 1935-04-20

Complaint that a local man is employing a ''shakedown" on tav- ern owners in and about Water bury was made today in vigo-- ous statement by the Fifth Con- gressional District Liquor Dealers association, The complaint names the suspect and threatens him with criminal prosecution unless he halts at once his alleged prac- tice of defrauding liquor permit tees in the fifth district.
 Protest against the alleged swind- Ter was made at Thursdays meet ing of the association at Moose hall, with several members of the association declaring that the i'm. postor has secured funds from them on false pretenses. Lewis Lauria, executive secretary of the association and editor of Nation. al Beverage Authority" a magazine claimed that the man practicing the shakedown was Waterburian formerly employed by him as 5 salesman but no longer in his em- ploy.
 Prosecution
 The association voted unani- mously Q strong resolution of pro- test and approved plans to prose- cute the offender If he attempts to secure any more funds from tavern owners of the fifth con- gressional district.
 Legislative Bulletin No. ?, a paper prepared by Secretary Lau- ria, was approved by the meeting and it was voted to forward 2 copy to every member of the state general assembly. The bulletin argues aginst Sunday closing rules, said to be contemplated in the new liquor laws:
 The association's next meeting will be held at Moose Hall Tues day afternoon at 2 o'clock.
 Legislative Bulletin No. 2 reads as follows:
 May we offer you the following information taken from the files of our National Association rela- tive to Sunday Closing which we are sure will provide much heated discussion when liquor bill is brought out of committee:
 In. 1914 a noted Columbia Un'- versity professor, equally noted a3 a Dry, delivered an address to a Dry Convention in Chicago on Sunday closing. Chicago, at that time. was seriously considering closing the saloon on Sunday.
 Sunday Issue
 This professor had been one Of the famous committee of fifteen delegated to investigate the con- ditions arising from Sunday clos- ing for saloons after two years of it's advent in Metropolitan New York. His address emphasized the vital necessity of permitting the legal esta blishments to re- main open on Sundays. The gist of his address Is embodied in the following words: Just so long as there are human beings, there will be just as much and perhaps more of an economic demand for alco- holic beverages on Sundays as there is on any other day. If this demand Is not satisfied by legi- innate dispensers, illicit ones will be found. The resulting novels namely the small hotels. springing from this compulsory Sunday closing are far. more to be dreaded than the legal saloon which has no private rooms and spaces for surrepitious acts on the part of inebriated guests"
 Revenue
 We ask you to forget us as Li- quor dealors, as we ask you to forget the demands 10 those who are opposed to alcohol in any form, and consider this time, the hundreds of thousands of work ing people who reserve Sunday Ss their, day of pleasure and recrea ton. Consult the individuals wEc by their consumption of alcoholic beverages place the revenue In the city,. state and federal treas uries. Ask them what they VII do if they can't buy drink O. legal liquor on Sundays and then estimate the possible loss in rev. enue to the state treasury from the sale of. illicit beverages on the 52 Sundays in each year.