Rensselaer Semi-Weekly Republican, Volume 40, Number 9, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 8 October 1907 — The New High License Bill. [ARTICLE]

The New High License Bill.

Senator Ezra Mattingly, who represents Daviess ati*i Pike counties in the upper branch? of the' state legislature, has outlined the provision, of a tempeiance bill which he will introduction the first roll call'in the next tession of the general assembly, «„ Senatoi Mattingly was the au hor u’ - the “thousand dollar license bi,l.” which created stich a furore in b c last session and which was defeatefi only by a narrow margin. He ha* truckled on bis armor and is ready for another battle with 3p saj'*on forces. He is going alter the 11 jnor folks hammer and toD.a in nn next session, which be- predicts from a stand point of interest a id excitement, will make the last session appear pale an<l insignificant.. He called on Miss Mai\ Stubbs state statisticiau. and o btained from her a valuable collection *>f sslcon statistics, some figures, which in due season, he will present in support of his bill. The senator made public the essential provisions of his forthcoming bill, as follows: 1. It will fix the cost of a saloon license at SI,OOO, of which SBOO is to be turned over to the local corporation and the balance to the state school fund. 2. It will be impossible, under the provision of the bill, for any corporation to grant a saloon license if the number of saloons within that corporation already is equal to one saloon for every 1,000 inhabitants. — 3_ —The bill pFov ides for local option for towuships and cities, the vote to be taken at a special election. A majority vote will banish all saloons from the township or city for a period of four years. 4. It will be unlawful, under the provisions of the bill, to establish a saloon within 500 feet of a public or parochial school, a public library or a public park The senator’s bill, as outlined above, will differ radically from the measure which he pushed with such vigor in the last session. The provision that saloons shall be created in excess of one for every 1,000 inhabitants would have the effect, he says, to reduce the number of saloons in Indianapolis from over 700 to 150. He thinks that thousands of saloons would be exterminated in the state by virtue of that provision alone. “The anti-saloon movement in Indiaua is goiug forward with tremendous mom-ntum,” said Senator Mattingly, “and the persons who are doing the most to promote it.are not ‘temperance cranks’ but .-olid, substantial business men.”