Camden Courier-Post – June 30, 1933
Reesman to Decide If Commissioners Offer Resolution
Beverage Dispensers Will Discuss Question at Next Meeting
19 Licenses Issued
“The Camden City Commission will take no action on the Sunday beer sale question unless the people express a strong desire for Sunday beer.”
This is the declaration made yesterday by Mayor Roy R. Stewart.
And not only are members of the city commission divided on the Sunday beer issue but saloonkeepers are themselves.
Fred J. Stuebing, president of the Camden County Beverage Dispensers’ Association, revealed that some members of the association are against Sunday sales and some are in favor of it.
“We have not gone on record for or against Sunday sales,” Stuebing said. Some of our members are against it. The question will be brought up at our own meeting a week from today.
Wants His Day Off
“Personally, I would not want to keep my place open on Sunday afternoons. I want a day off after working all week. I might open up for a while Sunday evenings, though, if it were permitted.”
In the event of a resolution being introduced in the city commission to permit Sunday sales after 1 p.m., the final decision would rest in the hands of Commissioner Clay W. Reesman since he has refused to commit himself on the issue, while Mayor Stewart and Commissioner Harold W. Bennett have announced against it, and Commissioners Frank B. Hanna and Dr. David S. Rhone have pronounced themselves in favor of it.
“I don’t think there is any insistent demand for Sunday beer,” said the mayor. “If there is, I haven’t heard about it.
“Furthermore, I see no real reason for Sunday beer. In the so-called good old days before prohibition, saloons were closed on Sundays. Why should they be opened now?
“And as I said in a statement some time ago, the men and women employed in the retail beer business deserve a day off a week for recreation and worship just as any other workers.
“The City Commission will take no action unless the people express a strong desire for Sunday beer.”
Owners Interviewed
There was a rumor in circulation yesterday that quite a number of Camden saloon-keepers had been “interviewed” by certain politicians on the Sunday sale situation.
“You don’t want to sell beer on Sunday, do you?” is the question that is said to have been put to them. And it was put in such a way that a negative answer was expected, the rumor has it.
This report apparently is borne out by the attitude of Mayor Stewart. The mayor’s statement came as a surprise particularly in view of the fact that Camden saloon-keepers recently contributed to a fund for the purpose of having the ban on bars removed and also to bring about Sunday sales.
Camden saloon and restaurant keepers have been complaining because the roadhouses in the suburban districts were permitted to sell beer on Sunday and that they also were allowed to remain open later that the closing time specified for similar places operated in the city limits.
These same Camden saloon-keepers also have complained about the political clubs within the city being permitted to remain open after the regular closing hours and also that they have been allowed to remain open on Sundays.
New Licenses Granted
Meanwhile,City Clerk Frank S. Albright yesterday announced approval of 19 new applications for retail beer licenses, bringing the total in the city to 239. Three new wholesale licenses also were sanctioned.
Following are the retail permits:
John Pennington, 818 Broadway; Salvatore Spitalore, 201 Royden Street; Samuel Friedenberg, 575 Van Hook Street; Fred Steubing, 318 Market Street; Frank Markiewicz, 673 Ferry Avenue; Matthew Orland, 3, 5, 7 and 9 Ferry Walk; Anthony Laskowski, 1200 Everett Street; Albert Ross, 1425 Mt. Ephraim Avenue; Samuel Hurwitz, 703 Chestnut Street; Clito Viviano, 522-524 Walnut Street; Harry Adams, 406 North Seventh Street; Daniel Cirucci, 305 Benson Street; Charles A. Bieri, 318 Kaighn Avenue; Max Kleinfeld, 101 Chestnut Street; John MacDougall, 839 Market Street; Alexander Wrightson, Southwest corner Ninth and Chestnut Streets; David Plasky, 2362 Broadway; Luigi Corda, 702 South Second Street, and Irving Cartin, 201 Mechanic Street.
Wholesalers: Camden County Beer Distributors, 1203 Chestnut Street; William Grams, 2101 Federal Street, and Justin Peterson, 511 Chelton Avenue.
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