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THE ATLANTA GEORGIAN, MOMMY. PECEMBHR 31. W«3. CHARGES COUNCILMEN WITH RECEIVING FEES FROM LIQUOR DEALERS MayorWoodward Uses Plain Language'in Veto. WHISKY TRUST CONTROLS ATLANTA? Gives Reasons Fully for Not Approving Ordinance Making Liquor Li cense $2,000. Mayor Woodward sprang quite a .Mutation In his veto message on the whisky regulation ordinance, charging, In effect, that certain members of the special police committee had accepted fees In the nature of bribes to repre sent certain whisky Interests before the committee and council. The mayor gave-no reasons for veto ing the ordinance, which he had no: already stated In Interviews published In The Georgian. He said he regretted the matter came up at the close of his administration. Inasmuch as it could not go Into efTect until well Into the next administration. He said he was In favor of the regu lations adopted nineteen years ago, and would oppose any change In them of any kind, whether lowering or raising the license, adding restrictions or tak ing them away. The message In full Is os follows: -To the General Council of Atlanta: "Gentlemen—It Is with genuine re gret that I feel called upon to disagree with your honorable body and return to you without my approval the ordi nance passed by the general council at Its last session seeking to make rudlcnl changes In the laws regarding the wholesale and retail liquor licenses of this city. I had hoped, and so express- id myself to some members of your body, that this matter would go over to the Incoming administration, as It was a matter affecting the finances and liollcy of the city that should not be acted upon by an out-going adminis tration, and thereby relieve me of the unpleasant task of being forced to take any action In the matter imme diately at the ending of my term of office. "It will be recalled by some of you that the change of the tax rate from 1 1-2 per cent to 1 1-4 'per cent was made at the closing days of one ad ministration to become effective at the beginning of the next, and how embar rassing it was to the new administra tion to make the necessary cuts In salaries and Improvements In every de partment of the city government In or der to meet conditions caused by such a great reduction In the city's revenue. I.am seriously of the opinion that all such radical changes as are contem plated by this ordinance should take place at the beginning of the first 01 second j*ar, and not at the ending of an administration. In this way the reins of city government could be taken up by new heads without embarrass' ment. * No Change Needed. "In the first place, I can see no rea sonable grounds for changing the pres ent law. The present ordinance has been in force for nineteen years, and I have failed to hear of any city In the entire country where the liquor traffic Is under as good regulations as It Is In Atlanta. It Is the general remark of all visitors, and copies of, our laws have been sought by other dtles In nearly every state in the Union. It Is not good policy to change laws just for the sake of doing something that will attract attention. If it Is good, It is best to leave It alone. , “By recent actions of your honorable body you have reduced the revenues of the city for next year by about 125,000. If the price of the retail liquor license Is Increased to 12,000 It Is reasonable to suppose that twenty-five or thirty more will be forced out of business. It may be said that by Increasing the price to 12,000 the city will get as much money from the few that remain in the busi ness as It did formerly at tl.000. Tills may prove correct, but I seriously doubt It. Suppose, for the sake of argument, we accept the statement as correct. Is It treating the people who have Invested their money In the busi ness with proper consideration?. It Is a legal business, and every man Investing his money In It has as much right to protection under the law as those en gaged In any other business. Besides, It makes a monopoly of the whisky traffic; a condition, it seems to me, that every conservative, thinking man will object to. I believe that every man Is entitled to fair play. If It comes to the point that the business Is so dis reputable that It is necessary to mo nopolize It In the hands of a few, (he It would lie more preferable to blot I out altogether, and the sooner a pro hibition election is called the better, am not prepared to believe that a m Jorlty of the conservative people el this city are In favor of (either monop fUtsWig t), e business with an Increased license or of having a prohibition elec tion. Few Willing to Pay $2,000. “I have heard that a few of-the sa loon keepers are willing to pay $2,000 and one has announced his willingness to pay $5,000, as, he Is fully able to do so, and because ,lt would crowd four or five of his competitors out of busi ness, thus enabling him to make more money, but by his fellow-man's down fall. Is it good regulations or more money that the people of Atlanta want? I believe they want good regu lations. That being - the case, I be lieve they have as good regulations as can be got together. If money Is the aim,. Atlanta had best adopt the dis pensary plan and go'Into the wf~‘" business herself. '1 am satisfied the city Is making more money out of the whisky traffic at $1,000 per year than Is the average saloon man who pays that licenser "There are. but two propositions In the contemplated ordinance that are not already an well or better provided for by existing laws. Those two prop ositions are a $2,000 license fee and a restriction of tHe number of licenses according to population. The two propositions are so nearly alike In their effect that It Is hardly ilecesasry to speak of the latter one of restriction. "I oppose the:$2,000 license because It leaves no opportunity for the man of moderate means, no matter what might be his standing In the community for law and order, and his ability for con ducting the business In an acceptable manner. I am satisfied that this should be our key-note In dealing with this question. It is possible that there are men who have been entrusted with licenses who do not know how to han dle the business. Who is to blame for this condition, If it does exist? The general council has to pass on each license once every year, and If any ap plicant has proven himself to be not u proper person to engage in the busl- hen his application for a re- >f license should be refused. Tho present law provides that ‘No license to retail shall Issue to any person other than of good character, sobriety and discretion and regard to this shall be had on, and as to, each application made.’ (Section 1541.) If this has not been the motto of the general council In the past, the law Is not to blame, and a license of $2,000 will not better conditions if the applicant's reputa tion for conducting the business Is not carefully Inquired Into. v Few in Control. I am fearful that the trouble Is that 80 per cent of the retqll business In this city Is controlled by two or three wholesale dealers. The men who qro conducting retail places have to agree to-buy their goods from these wholt salers or their places of business a), leased odt from under them, and then SOUTHERN STATES ASPHALT ROOFING COMPANY BEGINS BUSINESS IN ATLANTA MR. W. L. BARNHART, WELL - KNOWN ROOF ING MATERIAL MAN, WILL HAVE THE MAN AGEMENT AND WILL REPRESENT THE STO- WELL MFG. CO. With the commencement of l»07 the ml hem Staten Asphalt Roofing Com- tny will make Ita advent Into the •nunerelal wor*il of Atlanta. The )ovc Company commence* the roof- iff huHlness vnder the most favorable nHiitlons, having at Ita helm a man ith long and auccesaful experience In ip roofing business, Mr. W. L. Barn- irt. Mr. Barnhart began his career in e roofing business more than ten •m-H ago with The Southern Manufac- in« Company as bookkeeper and • noffiapher, tVorklng up to the posi- >n «>f secretary and treasurer, which billon he successfully filled until sdnee which time he has been in mrge of the Roofing deportment of • Atlanta branch of Philip Cary anufacturlng Company of Cincinnati. il« position he haa resigned to head e new enterprise known as The •uthern State* Asphalt Roofing Com- ny, with headquarters at No. 618 •urth National Bank. Building. In coming Into the commercial world Atlanta this company has secured exclusive sale. In the Southern aies, of the celebrated Stowell As- alt roofings, which are so largely and V'-rably known throughout the East i Middle IVeat. Th«* product of the company which (f represent embrace* more than -half dozen different kind* of zur- i-insr, bub all made from genuine fntdad Lake Asphalt and pure wool ■re felt, each ply cemented to the STEINWAY PIANOS. . KNABE PIANOS ... . WEBER PIANOS . . . . FISCHER PIANOS . . PHILLIPS & CREW PIANOS . NEW UPRIGHT PIANOS (RELIABLE AND GOOD) PIANOLA PIANOS PIPE ORGANS ... . . REED PIPE ORGANS .... TALKING MACHINES . . . . PHONOGRAPHS . : they are forced to leave or pay an In creased rental and elgYi a contract to purchase their merchandise from such wholesaler. This was the condition that brought prohibition on Atlanta In 1885, and It will repeat Itzelf In the near future If this abuse Is not sum marily corrected. "Every man who makes application for a license should be required to make affidavit that he Individually owns the leose^of the premises where he Intends doing business, and that he will be the bona llde owner of the buelness If license Is granted him. An other condition that was strictly en forced In the early years of the pres- | n w cannot be ent law was that no man would be at- genes of those who do not irisi coated on more -than one hood It provisions brill. lerz' Association for services to be rendered. It seems to me that this Js a very serious condition and a prac tice that should not be allowed to grow up or be tolerated. No man who Is a member of the general council can af ford to accept a fee from any one for the purpose of representing them before that body upon any kind of claim. The general council should Im mediately pass very stringent meas ures against any such practice. 'Tho present liquor law, as I have •aid before. Is a good one. All that Is SAYS DR, J, E, WHITE would be Interesting If your honorable body would look over the different licenses and see -who makes the dif ferent bonds or are responsible for them. 'An Increased price In the license would not relieve this condition, but would aggravate It. The very people who have caused this state of affairs would, on account of their accumu lated wealth, be In a position to com pletely monopolize the liquor traffic, and thlz at the expense of tho little fellow, and without a proper regard for the ability of the man to properly conduct the business. Gives His Reasons. I cannot approve the ordinance be cause I fesl morally bound to the peo ple not to muke uny change In the liquor law. That question has been prominently brought to the front In nearly ever,' municipal election since prohibition, and every mayor and upon and placing the whisky ordinance, or any part of It, In the legislative pare of .he charter would not strengthen the mat ter, for one part of the code can be al lowed to He dormant as well as an other. It does not add to the enforce ment of the law to place it In the leg islative charter. Bad Policy to Meddle, "In conclusion, I desire to again state that the present law Is as good as can be got together, end that It Is bad pol icy to meddle with It. The people who are agitating the question of prohibi tion have made no promise that they would for the future be satisfied with the contemplated ordinance. They will never be satisfied until they have forced another prohibition election. They have nothing to lose from a prop erly standpoint, but may gain some notoriety. Every time these people luon, aim e.ery ... . wam , nyth | n , affecting the whlskv every member of the general council, ] traffic they nnnear before the general It lie wa^ not absolutely pledged, felt morally bound to let the law remain coal tar products. In their manufacture which, no doubt, accounts for-the uni versal satisfaction which their prod uct gives wherever used. These manufacturers heretofore have not endeavored to develop any consid erable business In the South owing to ten, eacn piy cement™ .w ...» tt)# fact that their products being of a with the Asphalt cement In uni- „ U perlor quality, have found ready sale thickness and then a thick layer | n the East, where “““‘“Si?"* 1 ' ment spread over the upper sur- KyanThelV'outp'ut^Without seeking new and the various surfaces rolled | {.^“distant markets. They have re- rmly Into the same while hot, » can t|y, however, doubted their capacity i, ..I, /-pm soiled now in a oositlon to take care i ho whole. In compact form, rolled »• It will make a uniform width thickness, containing 108 square i'i each roll. With each roll Is Hhed a haif gallon of sap cement nulls for applying, all packed In- the roll afid weighs from 50 to i -OTUds per square complete. PAINT REQUIRED FOR THIS ROOFING 4'<*ntiv. nownri, uuiiui> m s s and are now In a position to take care of large volumes of Southern business and it Is for the purpose of developing a Southern business that The Southern States Asphalt Roofing Company be gin* it* career. , agencies to be established THROUGHOUT THE SOUTH It will be the function of this new concern to establish agencies and se cure dealers In even - town throughout run i m» nv-r„— ,i, e goiitli, having warehouse* anil dls- 01 after it It's been placed on Ionia , „ 3 ie of this ■f. It Is especially well adapted The In'"’i“ Asnhal“product In ..lllmc houses and to lake the JjMchrxued Hw f Aj* ‘ acq P„ ltlon f shingles or slate. he ...oiin , fa „ t increasing Iglit be well to mention that th*|the S. ‘,/ pn | arK „ p,,*- acturera of this roofing have | hur l,e-s. and « 1 open up "muted In the manufacture >-C ] stoU.-t/^ " * ^ but offer an ntirae- lt products for more than a (i.thiing ' r _ who wish to ■entury and have never, been live P d- a In Ih „ various "> turn out anything but the n er-- Y* “ ,i,. entire S.uthern i grade of genuine A«rli*ilt11“»-n J *• ". .. nrjpuse to give the using nu cual tar absolutely, crurrljcry, as th'S P- , exclusive agency to one firm In each town, and refer all Items In that ter ritory to them, so that the enterprising Individual or firm who gets Into com munication with Mr. Barnhart, man ager of The -Southern States Asphalt Roofing Company, and secures a deal er's contract with him, will poe- sess a valuable agency which will In crease In business from year to year at the least outlay and with good profits. • In addition to the roofing the new firm-will handle all of the allied prod uct of the Btowell Manufacturing Com pany. which Includes Asphalt Paint, Asphalt Roofing Coating, Asphalt Metal Coating. Asphalt Roofing Ce ment. Monarch Roofing Asphalt, Elas tic Rubber Roofing Cement, Large- headed Roofing Nalls, etc. MR. BARNHART WELL KNOWN. Most of the citizens of Atlanta are acquainted with Mr. Barnhart, who will manage The Southern State* Asphalt Roofing Company, us he has been connected with the commercial activity of Atlanta for so many years, and It will be sale to say that the C»mp«ny he to to head wilt not only be a profitable Investment for those who nre hacking the enterprise, hut that it will add much to thV progress of the city along the lines indicated In the above article. Mr. Barnhart will make announce-’ tr.ts through this paper from time time, the InltioT instalment of which will be seen In the advertising columns of this Issue. unchanged. Every newspaper In the city has strongly advocated the princi ple of letting the law remain unchang ed. This was a part of their campaign Hght two years ago, when the mem bers of the present administration were elected. It was made by the news papers. Yet, before these men go out of office, tbc newspapers are trying to Influence them to break the pledge they made to the people before they were elected. 'Consistency, thou art a Jewel.' "The pnfitlon cannot be taken that to raise the price of the license to not to change the law, any more than It could be If the Intention were to lower the price. I um satisfied that your honorable body would never have en tertained a proposition to reduce the price to $500 per year. If you had done so. I would have considered my self just as morally bound to return It to you without my approval as I have done In this case. "It seems that many people were In clined to place the blame for our re cent trouble at the doors of the sa loons. .1 wish to remove that Impres- oil The saloons had nothing what- _/er to do with It. They may be re sponsible tor a great many Infractions of peace and good order, but In this Instance 'they were Innocent. ' Membere Receive Feet. I have It from what appears.to me traffic they appear before the general council, and If they are not granted what they demand they Immediately threaten a prohibition election, with the Idea that the members .If the gen eral council, with a desire to prevent the ruination of business and properly values and to save the city from dls cord and turmoil, will grant their de tnnnds, and when their demands have been granted It Is only a short time until they come hack tor another bite at the cherry, and the whole matter Is gone over again. T feel satisfied, from expression of a great number of good ap.1 conservative citizens, that the agitation of this ques tion by the general council and the newspapers Is responsible tor the pres ent unsettled condition. I have heard of no special complaint, or suggestion of a prohibition election coming from the mass >s of the people. They are not In favor cf It. I believe there to more danger of at. election being called ny the adoption of a prohibitive license, thereby closing out the nmn of.limited means, than there la by allowing the license to remain as It Is. As 1 have said before, I am satisfied that a ma jority of the masses of our people nre absolutely opposed to making a mo nopoly of .he whisky traffic, and this element, combined with the element of our people who are opposed to the sale of liquor In any manner, would not leave the result of a prohibition elec tion In much doubt. I have always been opposed to cither extreme on this question, and v c uld rather sec it prop- ta b. reliable .uthorlty-ln on. In- stance especially that members of the: , )0 seU to a prohibitive tow on general general council and of the special j grounds tor the city of Atlanta, and committee, have received fees In a, am satisfied ins*. If bodes no good tor legal capacity to represent different the city, yet rather than seer the whisky ‘ Ih i traffic monop->.l e-d In the hand* of a saloon men before the committee and j ffw ant | lhe ,. mn of an)a || mean s before general council, and that In one: crowded out, I feel Inclined to Join oi more instances of this character the hands with that side, and use my vote license has been restored after the sa- [ and Inlluence to wipe it out entirely— loon had been closed up, and In an-j let the big ones go wUh the little ones, other Instance 1 learn that a fee was'Then, at the end of two years. It miy That Mayor James Woodward will throw all his strength and Influence iu the anu-prommtlon element In tho event a local option election Is held' In Fulton county this erring, and that the whisky crowd would assist In making the victory over prohibition as over whelming as possible, to the belief ex pressed by Dr. John E. While, pastor of the Second Baptist church, In hlfc sermon Sunday morning. Referring to Mayor Wocdward's fic tion In vetoing the higher saloon li cense, Dr. White said: * "He to honestly. In my opinion, the friend and champion of the things In this city which make for Immorality and a wide-open town. So far as I have observed, he has never pretend ed otherwise. I believe he has looked more keenly Into the situation than sonio others, and that he believes a pro- hlbltlm election would result in vic tory for the whisky element, and In a sense prove to be a personal vindica tion and a rehabilitation, politically, tor himself." Or. White pointed out that the anti- I prohibitionists want a local option' election held In Fulton county before PUT UP OR SHUT UP, TO CITY COUNCIL be that the whole matter will aetlle back on conservative grounds.' What Is Necsssary. “In summarising the whole proposi tion there are but three things neces- 1 nary to be “1. See that the applicant to the bona fide owner of the lease on the premises where he Is seeking to d-i business, and that he to under nu con tract to purchase his goods from any particular person or firm. "2. Enact some mode of Inspection and compel every dealer to .sell pure goods, and Immediately revoke the li cense of any man caught selling adul terated concoctions. "J. Enforce the laws already .enacted upon this question, and let the general council be more careful to whom li censes are granted. See to It that no man who is a dealer In the liquor busi ness to allowed to go on the bond of an applicant. "There are a great many things that might be spoken of upon this subject, but I feel that It to hardly necessary at this time. I am thoroughly convinced of the soundness of the position that 1 have taken In disapproving this ordi nance. I also believe that a large ma jority of the masses of conservative people approve my action. Let tho general council and the newspapers Put up or shut up—that Is the ulti matum that Rev. Len G. Broughton hurled at the council In the prelude to his sermon Sunday night. If coun cil overrides tho veto of the mayor and showa by Its action that Dr, Broughton was wrong In bis charge made In the pulpit that the council man were a bunch of cowards, then Dr. Broughton will maks a public apology to every man who came under his denunciation. In rpeaklng of what Mayor Wood ward sold about him. Dr. Broughton declared to fil* congregation that he cared absolutely nothing about what the mayor and h!s Mfid thought. Il« said his chief concern was In whether or not the council passed the ordlimm-o over th* mayor’s veto. He declared' he knew the whisky traffic and for that reason he wanted It curbed, iio declared that no personal vituperation or mud-tllnglng could cover up the evil of that traffic and that he hoped to ses the day when It would be wiped out In Atlanta. For the present, however, Dr. Broughton said the people cf the city demanded' that the whisky traffic h- better regulated and that by vetolng the ordinance, the mayor hail slapped the faces of the Atlanta people. In Closing the prelude to hln regular sermon. Dr. Broughton recited what he had said about the council and de clared that h* did not wish to unjtt-t- ly accuse the members. But ho said he merely expressed his candid opin ion when he said what he did. If the council overrides the mayor's veto, then Dr. Broughton will publicly apol ogize to every man he denounced. "Thto to my final word to you," lie Said, "and I demand that yqu elth.-r put up or shut up. You have critleu- d me tor unjuetly criticising you. p now remains to be eeen whether <>r nor I have been unjust."' the legislature meets, because win n the movement for state prohlblib-n Is Inaugurated In that body they can, if they win, point out the fact that Ful ton county has just voted against pro hibition, and ask that the county t,.- excepted. general council anu me newspapers stop any further agitation of the mat ter. The ordinance would not go Into effect until July 1, 1902, and all licenses have to be passed upon In June. 1 earnestly believe that your honnrabl? body' will best subserve the best Inter ests of our beloved city by postponing any further action until that time. "Respectfully submitted. • J. O. WOODWARD, "Mayor." ■ RECOUNT OF VOTES . IS UP TO HEARST New York, Dec. SI.—Attorney i;. n - eral-elect W. 8. Jackson says that tf William R. Heamt eh«>uld leave to Institute «iuo \\. ceedlngK, In connection wt dispute which followed the alty election In this city, a the.case will be granted n« to Jackson- assumes office. - Attorney Clarence J. Sh* that paper* In the case are i with Mr. Jackson ria> u;