Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1877-09-26
THE MOFFETT REGISTER.


virRIDia's New Device for EnIntg,
InE Her state ReveDu@-What n
Leading Temperance IOurnRi Has
TO say About the New Year.
Boston Post.l
The Mofett Register is what they
call it in Virginia, and it is Smash
ing states " for the barkeepers equal
to the liveliest work of the politi-
clans. tits otherwise called a punch.
1t is notthe kind in favor with those
who drink. 1t is really and soberly
a little linking gong to record
drinks, and thereby assess the tax
by which the Old Dominion is try
ing to pay off her debt. Thirsty
people do not now invite one an
other to take a drink" but to GO
in and register" Some even say,
Let's contribute to the State taxi
The so.called Moffett Register law
imposes a tax Of two cents and a
half on every alcoholic and half a
cent on every malt drink. The
saloon keepers accordingly put up
the price of their beverages, the
alcoholic to fifteen cents, while
they substituted glasses one.tenth
smaller for lager beer, which still
leaves the price at five cents. We
are told that last year the whole
amount paid by the liquor mer-
chants of the State into the treas
ury was S1S7,O0O. The city of
Richmond ordinarily pays one-ffth
of the liquor tax of the State, and
the new law is expected to be en-
forced more rigidly there than any
where else. The amount estimated
to be derived from it is 100000
per annum, which is a low estimate.
A dealer must sell at least eight
dollars worth per day, or he must
stop altogether. The register does
away with the credit system at bars.
The dealers we're unwilling to pay
a tax on what accumulated on their
states, for they were uncertain
whether they could collect the
whole Of it. So the cash system
for drinks prevails in Virginia.
But no one grumbles either at the
prices or the payment except the
old topers. The great majority of
the people are in favor of the law.
State Treasurer R. NJ. Il. Hunter
dropped into saloon and called for
his glass of lager. After drinking
it he reminded the bartender that
he hadn't punched" The latter
answered that he knew it, and again
the treasurer reminded him of the
omission, whereupon the bartender
explained that the treasurer hadn't
paid. Puching is done only 4" for
cash." Public sentiment is said to
favor the new law, though the sa-
loon keepers are bitterly hostile to
it. 1t is universally admitted that
for revenue purposes it is a device
never surpassed. If fairly enforced
it will fully answer all the ends for
which it was passed. The advance
in prices does not interfere with
any drinkers but the regular topers,
unless it is the class that do not
carry ready change in their pockets.
The register is fastened to every
counter across which liquors are
sold, and the sellers console them
selves with saying that the tax
doesn't cSmt out of their pockets.
Yet they swear more less at it, al.
leging that it looks as if the little
machine was stuck before them to
keep people from stealing their
taxes. They say that everybody
who comes in has to look at the
register to see how many drinks
have been sold, and then they be-
gin to calculate the amount of bus
mess done in the place, which is an
exposure of private affairs by the
State. The great problem now be-
ing studied is how to beat theA reg
isler, and all the scientifically in
clined bar-tenders are deep in it.
The register tells the "boss" just
how many drinks have been sold
and, therefore, how much cash has
been taken, so that there is no such
thing as knocking down. on him.
One man, not u bartender, claims
. l. a