The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1877-06-14
OPPOSING CRIME.

THE SOCIETY FOR THE PREVENTION OF CRIME
ARGUING BEFORE THE EXCISE BoARD-wHAr
Is AND WHAT SHOULD DE.
special meeting or the Excise Board held yes.
to-day morning 70 confer with committee from the
society for the Prevention or Crime character
OF licenses granted for the sale Of liquor and the best
means OF preventing abuses arising from the evasion
OF tho law on that subject Present were Excise Com
missioner q. W. Morton, Chairman, Owen Murphy
and Patterson, Jr The Society for the Prevention
OF Crime was represented by Mr. L. D. Culver, Of the
Executive Committee. and Vice President r. II.
Shannon.
JUDGE cuLvERs ADDRESS
Mr.. Culver Grst addressed tho Board as tollows-
Mr.. CHAIRMAN AND GENTLEMEN or the BoARp-To
waive all Formally about the matter shall bring
directly before you the object OF our inviting
Tor the prevention Of crime. Our primary object is TO
prevent tho commission OF crime, and in doing that
we lind necessary TO suppress the Illegal dramshops
that are selling liquor contrary TO law in The city oi
New York These dranshops more directly the
source Of crime than all other causes IN the ratio Of
three to one We ask The cooperation Of the Board
ask inc Board to interfere with regularly
established hotels or storekeepers We ask,
III view OF tho recent decision OF the Court OF
Appeals, that this Board recognize that decision by
Withholding licences to any parties who do not come
undor the Law oil 1857 modified by the laws Of 1870
and 1873 The Court oil Appeals decided that the law
OF 1857 and the aw OF 1870 wero to be construed as
act The law OF 1856! authorizes the granting OF
two kinds OF liccnses-ono to tavern keepers. the
other storekccpers or druggists. The liquor sold in
the latter case was to DO drank OF the premises
Licenses could b. granted to tavern keepers TO sell
liquor on their premises but not TO be carried or
ever, b. satisfied OF three important thirgs-nrs.,
that the propriotors would keep an orderly
house.; second. that .hoy should have
sufficient ability to keep hotel, anu
thirdly that hotel would be necessary for
the accommodation Of actual travellers IN the place
where they propose to keep one. j an aware that
enort Is now beng mado by liquor dealers 10 induce
tho Commissioners 10 grant licenses by putting up
quiremenis OF the law We therefore Apply 10 You to
correct tuis abuse BY the law OF 1887 II is made
nsdcmeanor to grant licenses CONTRARY to the provi
sions OF that law With that end view respectfully
ask the Board to lend thor aid to TINS society
for the promotion OF good order We mean 10 mako
warfare these places, aud 10 shut up every
shop that has no license But when nnd them
under OLD license which has value, but for which
they paid their money aud tho term OF which has not
expired, they should either have their money re.
funded or serve out thor torn. We should ike to
learn from TINS boara the NUMBER OF places there arc
w the city selling without any license ut ALL We also
wish to know the number OF licensed parties, and
they arc, so that when we find parties selling liquor
We may know whether they are licensed or not
TO COOPERATE
President Morton replied briefly to Judge Culver's
speech. lie said tina. the Excise Commissioners en-
deavored TO carry out The law tho best of their
ability. When the Court OF Appeals made their de-
cison the Board Immediately ceuscd to grant licenses
under the construction that had previously been put
upon the law Of 1891 Tho objects OF the Society for
the Prevention OF Crime barmonizcd with tho views
OF the members OF the Board, ana, indeed, OF every
good in the community. Tho members OF tho
Board were desirous OF enforcing the law
strictly, but somewhat In spir: OF libcr.
auy. The greatest trouble the Board found
was with those who never made aoy application
for licenses at all. The Board would be glad have
the Assistance OF the society in enforcing the law
against these parties. Some hity places were refused
licenses last year. The power TO withhold licenses
without cause would DO stretching the power OF tho
Board. SIR. Morton held that Board OF Excise hav.
ing nsr Would So IrescS q Sa @
pied meaning OF tho law II thcy should withhold
licenses arbitrarily from those who FULLY answered
point he differed from Mr. Culver. The Ex-
cse Board, he said, had power TO enforce
was merely to grant licenses. Tho Commissioners OF
Charities and Correction and tho Board Of Police
the ones 70 enforce the law Besides tho Two classes
hesnsss ior lhs sale Of gais snd bssr only The
Tfss ssoss 70 Keep
scarcely debsr him from 60 doing The mrs.
grades-arst class hotels, second class hotels
and ordinary lodging houses these cost
81, $50 sloo and s Tho second class
the sale OF ale and beer, cost $40 II any who
had been previously selling iiquor should wish con.
quremens OF the law 10 start hotel the Commls.
.oncrs would not refuse him a license Last year
800 licenses were granted About 900 places wncro
liquor is sold have license During the year there
hnd been actual dminutten OF liquor In tho
city oil from 100 to 1000 This principally
caused by the hard times. e
ne DONE.
After this reply had been gwen the committee an
informal talk INDUCED by the gentlemen present
The members of the committee did not .com quite sat.
ised that tho Excise Board did have full power
withhold licenses If they chose. They ntmated tho lr
intention OF calling ON tho District Attorney and over
hauling tho that had boen pigeon holcd Finally
the meeting adjourned Judge Culver agreeing tho
part of the society TO send 10 the Boara
municaton in which ali the papers they desired 10
inspect should be mentioned and the points In dispute
should be embodied IN the form Of questions the
EXCISE Board 10 answer.