TEMPERANCE.

New Zealand Mail, Issue 873, 23 November 1888, Page 8

TEMPERANCE.

A RIGOROUS LICENSE LAW. According to a law which went into force in Pennsylvania on the Ist January last, a man who wants to sell intoxicants must pre sent a petition to the County Commissioners, signed by not less than fifteen freeholders (i.e., oitizens who own real estates), recommending that a license bo granted to him. If granted, he must furnish bond of 10,000 dols with not less than six snreties (each of whom must own not less than 2000 dols of unencumbered real estate) j and further, those who sign his petition, and his bondsmen, must be residents of the voting precinct in which bis grog shop is to be opened, and can be on the petition a bond of only one person. In addition to this, he must, before opening up, pay the State a license fee of 500 dols, and the Government fee of from 10 dols to 50 dols. This law went into effeot on tho Ist January, 1888, on all not engaged in the traffio. Those already in the business, had, till the end of May (the time when their old license expired), to either comply with the new law or else discontinue under penalty of fine and imprisonment. This, while not actual prohibition, will praotically close up at least two-thirds of the saloons in Pennsylvania by reaßon of their not being able tc give the necessary bonds required. Besides this the law provides for Local Option. Each township votes whether they will have liquor sold or not. If they vote ‘No license,' they have no saloons in that township, and unless it be on the sly, no liquor can be sold. If they vote ‘License,' any one can sell that can pay a fee of 500 dols for State license, in addition to the Government or Revenue fee. In Michigan they have a similar law (except tho vote is by counties instead of townships), and under thi3 law in January and February elections, bo far, 29 counties have voted for Prohibition, audit is not at all unlikely the balance of the counties in the State, with a few exceptions, will follow suit.