Jasper County Democrat, Volume 13, Number 95, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 15 March 1911 — NEW LIQUOR LAW. [ARTICLE]

NEW LIQUOR LAW.

Synopsis of the Proctor Regulation Measure Recently En- * acted. f i The new liquor law, known as thb Proctor bill, which went into effect Saturday,, March 4, when it was signed by Governor Marshall, while it does not repeal to any great extent any of the existing laws on the subject of intoxicating liquors, possesses many new features relative to the licensing of the liquor business, principally the following: The county license will now cost the saloon keeper S2OO, instead of SIOO as heretofore. To this may be added SSOO in cities and S3OO in towns, providing the common councils or town boards shall within 30 days so determine. In case they do not,’then the license fee payable in cities of the first and second classes shall be S3OO, all other cities S2OO, and in towns SSO. Should the cities and towns fail to put the license fee above the sums provided by law, within the time specified, they shall never thereafter have the right to do so. In townships outside of incorporated municipalities, where the premises are located more than two miles from the corporate lines of such municipalities, the holder of the license must pay to the township trustee the sum of SSO, in addition to the county license, but should the premises be located within the two mile limit, then the licensee is required to pay to the town or city adjoining, its license fee, instead of that to the township. All licenses and renewals are granted for a period of no more nor less’ than one year.

.Sales arc prohibited on Sundays, all legal holidays, and in cities of the first and second classes between the hours of midnight and 5 o’clock a. m., in all other cities between the hours of 11 o’clock p. m., and 5 o’clock a. m., and in towns and other places between the hours of 10 o’clock p. m., and 5 o’clock a. m. Under the provisions of this act, the number of saloons to he hereafter licensed is restricted to one for each 500 of population, unless the Board of County Commissioners shall at its first session after the law goes into effect, further restrict the number to one for one thousand inhabitants. • • No person who did not possess a license at the time the act became a law can be granted permission to sell, unless the licenses then in force were less in number, in the particular political subdivision whereevcf the applicant applies than! { l ie total number therm allowed, according to the population of that particular city, town or .township, bu the law provides that those holding license under former laws, who possess the other necessary j qualifications may he grantejd li- : censes, regardless of the restriction.

Hereafter, any person applying for a new license, or a renewal of the old one. must prove that he is a citizen of the United States, or if he is not such citizen, he must show that he has declared his intention to become a citizen and that he has been a resident of Indiana for a period of ten years or more. It must also he conclusively [shown by an applicant for.a license. that he is a person of good moral character, over the age ot 21 years; that he has not been convicted of a felony within 15 years; that lie has not been convicted the second time within two years 'of the violation of any of the liquor laws; that he is the bona-fide owner of the business, and is the owner of. or a bonafide lessee of the building wherein he proposes to \f engaged, and i hat no other person, firm or c .r-

poration is in anywise interested in, or the owner of any of the stock or fixtures, used in the operation of the saloon. After a license has once been procured under this law. and the saloonkeeper does not violate anv of "he liquor laws or "regulations, he may, under its terms, each year thereafter apply to the Byard of Commissioners for a.certificate of renewal of the license, but. he must publish notice for the same period as is required for the granting of the license in the first instance. Any license, or a renewal thereof, may be transferred by the holder, to an)' other qualified person, or it may be transferred to another place of business within the city, town or township where first granted, but any such transfer must be first authorized by the Commissioners, after the holder shall have pub- : lished notice of his intention to apply for such transfer. Any voter of the city, town or town-

ship may, however, remonstrate in writing against the transfer of the license from place to place, or from one person to another, which remonstrance shall be tried before the Board of Commissioners in the same manner as like remonstrances are tried against the granting of licenses. Any license, or renewal thereof shall be revoked by the Commissioners granting the same, upon written verified complaint, by any legal voter of the city, town or township, whenever upon hearing it shall be made to appear that the licensee has, within the year preceding, been guilty of felony, or of violation of the laws in restraint of lewdness, or of gross immorality, or has within, two years been adjudged guilty for the third time of violating any of the liquor laws, or if the licensee fails to pay any city, town or township, the sum to be paid to it, as fixed by the act. For minor violations rby the licensee, the Board of Commissioners may also suspend the license for various periods.