The Key West citizen. [volume] (Key West, Fla.) 1879-current, 1947-01-07
Ordinance No. l9 Not Emergency
Law; Pre- War Measure Allowed
Liquor Sale 20 Hours On Sunday

ordnance NO. ~ as al eIIleI gen
cy measure, a check-up of city
laws revealed today. Ordinance
No. 420 is the emergency measure
prohibiting sale of beer, wine and
liquor on Sunday.
Both laws apparently must be
repealed if beer, wine and liquor
are TO be sold on Sunday at once.
Ordinance No. APO goes out of eff
feet anyway as soon as Congress
declares the war at an end but
Ordinance No. 49,, passed Feb. S,
1916, will remain in force until
repealed or amended.
If these ordinances are repeal
ed, the sale of beer, wine and
liquor on Sunday will be govern
cd by Ordinance No. 49,, which
prohibits such transactions for a
total of four hours on the Sab
bath.
A survey of the city ordinances
on the question goes back to about
1893 when it was decreed by the
city fathers that establishments
selling liquor should close at IL
midnight, Saturday, until 3 am.
Monday. Apparently, this re-
manned more or less in effect un-
til July 81, 1887, when the City
Council passed Ordinance 1913.
No Sale For 4 Hours
This law said that no beer, wine
or liquor should be sold on Sun
day between 10 am and 1890
pm. and between 1880 pm. and 9
pm, hours customarily observed
for morning and evening worship
by the city'S churches Ordinance
333 also said that all ordinances
in conflict with it were thereby
repealed, wiping out the 1898 law
and any others.
Consequently, except for 212
hours in the morning and 112
hours in the evening, beer, wine
and liquor could be sold in Key
West around the clock on Sun
days from 1887 on. Ordinance
1913 was slightly amended by
Ordinance $50, passed over Mayor
Willard M. Albury's veto on Nov.
3, 1888. Ordinance $50 prohibited
any establishments within 300
feet of school from selling beer,
wine or liquor from $50 am. to
4 pm, Mondays through Fridays,
or from 6 pm. to midnight on
Sundays if within 800 feet of
churches.
Ordinance $50, however, APP
pears rather superfluous since
state laws prohibit the operation
of any liquor selling establish
ments if within 300 feet of
school or church.
Emergency Law Passed
On July 7, 1912, the emergency
measure, Ordinance No. 420, was
passed prohibiting sale of beer,
wine or liquor from midnight Sat-
urday to Z am. Monday. This
ordinance was placed in effect
only for the duration of the war
and is doubtlessly the emergency
measure" meant by the Retail
Liquor Dealers Association. 1t
does not repeal or amend any
other laws. The Presidents proc
lamation declaring the emergen-
cy at an end December 81 does
not affect this ordinance which is
good for the duration of the
war, Only Congress can end the
war officially.
Ordinance No. 10 was passed,
Hamlin says, to extend the cur
few for the bars from midnight
Saturday until 2 am. Sunday. It
does not repeal or amend any 9TH
er laws in conflict with it.
Its provisions are Cd No alco-
holic beverages (more than 1rc
alcohoD shall be sold, served or
consumed between 2 am. and II
am. on weekdays and between
2 am. Sunday and Z am. Monday:
(O No intoxicating beverage
(more than 3.2ft alcohoD shall
be sold, served or distributed by
package, bottle or container be-
tween pm: and 7 am. and not
at all on Sundays.
Thus, no hard liquor may be
sold after 8 o'clock Saturday night
until am. Monday, but beer and
VINE may be sold until 2 am.
Sunday.
Violation of Ordinance No. 10
may be punished by a $3.50 fine
or 90 days in Jail with license re-
vocation in either case.