Newspaper Page Text
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;
