After The Saloons

The latter pait of last week Mayor Walker zeceivd a petition from a uolumittee of the Anti-Saloon League of Ann Arbor, calling his attention to the fact that the provisions of the general liquor law of this state were being frequeutly and oonstantly violated, and "espeoially that there were repeated vi olatious of seotion 13 of said act forbidding the sale of intoxicating liquors to ruinors, and also of seotioa 17 of said ;iot requiring all saloons to be closed ou Sundays, on eleotion" days and legal holidays, and on each week day night from and after the hour of !) o'clook nntil 7 o'clock of the moruing of the sucoeedingg day, eto." The oojnmittee had also annexed to theïr petition in support of Hs assertions the affidavit of one Wm. A. Wheeler, who stated that he vv;is 30 yeara of age, married, and that his family consisted of his wife, her four years oíd child by a former husband, and her sister. He fnrther stated that Feb. 8th, be purchased whiskey and wine at several difterent saloons which made him so intoxicated and despondent that he took a large dose of chloroform so that his life was endangered and was only saved by the earuest eforts of Drs. Simon N. Yutzy and C. K. Lahuis, who were oalled in to treat him. The affidavits of Drs. Yutzy and Lahuis afh'rming his statements, are also gi,yeD. The affidavits of Perry F. Trowbridge, Prof. V. M. Spalding, Rev. J. T. Sunderland, Irving R. Edwards and Irving M. Goodwin, setting forth that a large number of the saloons in Ann Arbor viólate the provisioos of the state law in regard to the hour of opening and closing saloous, are also attached to the petition. The cotnmittee also reqnestcd that the mayor, as the chief exeoutive officer of the city, would see that the provisions of the statute were enforced, giviDg as tbeir reason therefor tbat "they believe it is a much better policy to have the laws enforced by the constituted authoritifis, wbo are elected and appointed for tbat purpose by the people of om city, rather than by tbe actiou of individual citizens, and they hope that the officers of the oity will perform this very neoessary duty and obvíate the necessity of prusecutions for that purpose being carried oo by individual citizeus indepeudeut of the coustituted authoritips. " The petition is dated Feb. 18, 189?, and is signed by W. S. Perry, W. N. Brown, J. T. Sunderland, V. M. Spalding, W. W. Beman and N. W. Cheever. Under the direction of Mayor Walker tbe oity pólice have been busy during the week investigating the charges ruade by the League. At a meeting oí the ordinance committee of the common oonncil held yesterday afternoon, the city attorney was instructed to draffc an ordinanoe regulating the sale of liquor in this city. Aiuong other provisons it will provide that the saloons shall be allowed to keep open nntil 10 p. m. standard time. That tbe proprietors shall in all respects keep the law as fixed by the state legislature, and in case of a violation of such law tbe oases may be brooght before the justices of the peace aud be disposed of by tbeui instead of being carried into the circuit court and adjourned from time to time as is now the case.