The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1878-04-06
THE MOFFETT REGISTER.
What The Sphere Of lis Usefulness
Would Be in New York.
PROSPECTIVE REVENUES.
An Easy Way to Pay the Interest on
the Ciy's Debt.

The proposed Introduction Of the bell register in
vented by Dr. Monet into the drinking saloons OF this
city continues discussion among all classes
OF the community, and Is regarded with increased
favor from day 10 day. Even the pronDitionsts,
who bitterly oppose anything which has the appear
OF legal recognition Of the liquor traffic. be-
lieve 1t would be great Improvement on the
present loose system, as II would impose
some restriction upon the traffic. would ghtcn taxes
by increasing the revenue and would besides furnish
IN approx mation to exact statistics Of the trade
something never yet obtained. One OF the stanch-
most prominent prohibitonists OF this State
exclaimed yesterday :--sThe traffic stand an I'M
menso drain. and don't know why IL should not be
pupchsdn The revenue which would be yielded by
The enforcement OF the law under which IS proposed
TO introduce The register, or 'punch" as II Is Called
would be something startling.
SOME INTERESTING FIGURES.
Mr. j. d. Whitney, Of the Law Committee OF Dr.
Crosbys society, states that there were In this CITY on
the day OF January 10 995 persons who PAID the
United States internal retailers OF IN
toxicatng beverages He states that 449 OF these
sold wines and alcoholic drinks, and 2444 dealt in
malt liquors Of this vast number only 1905 had
been licensed by the Board OF Excise leaving 1880
drinking places unlicensed. Surprising these figures
10 be correct and giving average OF $40 per day
receipts TO each dealeran estimate made by the Pres
tdent OF The Wine and spirit Traders socicty-the
amount expended daily by New Yoskcrs for strong
beverages would be $4,000. Deduct,ng hny-lwo
sundays the amount Tor the working days OF tho year
would be sos szS. 7o0 Adding TO this wha, is sold
Sundays III violation OF the law and the amount will
certainly fall below $40 600 600 per year. Proba
iy Tor evory drink OF aiconoic nquor consumed iour
glasses Of malt liquors arc drunk, and as the Inter
usually costs but i've cents glass this estimate
would put the number Of glasses OF ale and
beer consumed Al l,l2o,Ooo,ooo, and OF alco-
boic liquors a lao, o00, 0Oo, or aggregate OF
l,260 1000 drinks Undcr the Monotl law collecting
no cents upon every glass OF ''haru" liquor, that
class OF beverage yield income Of 81 500 900;
anu tariff OF MALI y upon every glass and
beer would give SO. 900, making aggregate Of
So 100000 revenue per ycar, aside from The specific
hc=nse lees THIS income would relieve the taxpayers
oi nearly onchrd Of the burden they now bear, and
would he about sufficient to pay the interest the
ae5t OF the city. When 10 The vast Income Is added
The amount OF The license ices II wli be seen that tue
effect should be sufficient TO tighten the expenses OF
living IL the CITY anu 10 give stimulus TO trade
The amount handed over to the treasury by the
Board OF Excise last under the present BY stem
did not exceed $226 600. showing mighty falling of
SINCE The days OF tho Metropolitan EXCISE law. THAT
ia revenue ia 1896 Of sI274,Is5 rs; IN 1857
Sl2I22 $50 81 in 1855 1870. 400 81; making total
revenue Of So 036, 705 ST. The receipts for the
twenty years preceding we're ony s747,S3l IL
OPINIONS TEMPERANCE ADVOCATES.
hdcnt that proh,bitor law be passed year or
two hence and point 70 the revival wave that PASS
claim that tho reflex the revived Ioetota sentiment
OF The state shown In the result Of the town meet
last and The corree ponding day OF March. AZ
the elections there was y SPECIAL ,icget for
Excise Commissioner each town, and tho ballots
were marked shcense" ana lcensc respectively,
thus leaving tho liquor traffic optional with the peo
pile VI each town. IL is claimed by the temperance
advocates that IN an overwhelming majority OF in.
stances the mo license candidates were elected In
Washington county fourteen Of tho seventeen
snips voted 10 gran: licensees About ono hundred
and forty thousand persons, u Is SAID have signed
shan one hundred orators arc stumpinG the
rural districts expaiat'ng upon the beauties
90 torswsar the lowing bowl Not less than
BIZ, 600 these people assert was spent IN
TINS country Tor liquors Ia 1874 This expenditure
continued for twenty-five years would consume the
whole real and personal property 0. the nation. Tho
amount expended IN The Great Brit
ain curing the same year exceeded outlay in Tho
United States by S59,000,OOo These figures
aud they aiicse that ihrec-fourihs OF pauperlsm
and iournftLs OF the crimes committed in this State
sblc wing oi the testota army contend that, in view
VI these Statements II would be well to adopt the
horett punch any other contrlvancc which Will
eompcl the liquor interest contribute more iarseiy
than u now docs to the support oil the institutions
rendered necessary by their traffic
The writer last night conyerseo with the propretors
Of several leading hotels OF this city concerning tho
proposed Innovation. None OF them particularly
opposed to the introduction OF the punch, but ali
agreed that Its effect would be TO honest and
respectful BILE dealers pay much more than their pro-
orion Of The tax r. tbs others would undoubtedly
evade the law or course sPics would be
latter might be aned and Imprisoned, bot their
example would not deter others Many opportunities
would DO Afforded tor cheating by not striking tho
register Liquors, Tor instance could be served ~ Ia
bcs IN portions Of rooms remote from the bar where
the register would naturally DO located, aud the |
guests could tell-supposing tney carsd-whether
The bell was rung or not. worry easy method OF
shoaiing also afforded by ringing the bell of
The register recording tho halle drinks instead Of
thai Indicating The two-ccnt ones
RECENT kxcisB rRoUELEs
Counsellor h. d. culver, VI tho Society for the Pre-
vcnion Of Crime expects receive IRON the authori
ties N a little while an absolutely accurate statement
OF tac number OF uppiing places In this city, ana
canvass ~ nov being made to that end. Apropos TO
this The following facts are o. interest
10 November aud December las. the Police Commits
soners took great interest In the enforcement OF the
Excise law, aud hundreds Of saloon Keepers who had
were dragged to station houses, locked up over |
night and arraigned In court tho following
Pending settlement OF the vcxed question
Of the right OF the saloon sell liquor
receipts issued by the Board OF Excise owen Murphy
walked on with $5o,00o Of the funds ana hrs assoc
sistes Morton anu Patterson, succeeded by the
present Commissioners, Messrs Merke ana Morrison.
The books and papers OF the old Board we're over /
hauled by the commissioner OF Accounts aud made
sns subject OF report to Mayor Ely. How the AFFAIRS
OF that Uody managed VIII be better understood
after the reading Of the ioiowpg corespondence be-
twocB the new Gxcise Board aad President smith, OF
the Police Department.
BoAnp OF ExeiaK, 100 MuLurrRy srsxxr,
wnrsx sslrn. rrosiden. Of The board Of roiiss Com
siaihe following resolution was this day passed by ,h.
"Eesolved. That the Board Of Police Comm ssoners be
respectfully requested TO furnish this Hoard repot
the character u IL the city whore liquor
cXsP1E I. cnILDs Clerk 10 the Board.
Tho following reply was yesterday sent by Prcsi-
dent Smith, Dnt up TO the hour OF closing had not
reached tue Once OF the Excise Bolrd-
PoLlcK DrrAnrsEsr or RVS CRY or Nav YonS,l
800 MULBERRY srRKEI, NKw fuRx. April >. IsTN
resolution ~ the Boara hxtise request
Board OF Police "a the chAra
OF seh place the city liquor
usually sydr IL received Though cspossd - rra
sen4bie assance 70 enable your Board to perform IT.
duti.s the Boaru % Police willing
respond TO request indefinite and
prshenaive as th,a Tue service asked = ~ no 70
spect police duty, sud " performed w0ald
tiealIy transfer from the Board o. Excise
10 the Hoard OF Police the discretion and
which the law conferred and impos.d
the B,a Excise Inssmuch the records ~ the
else for yeas past contain much, u act all
which the police could furnish does not
proper Withdraw from police dnty officers In each
precinct complete aud exhaustive report upon
svery drinking place tue city ~ Ia tbe cours. Of
,our special Occur where the iacts upon
which whether application should Be graUted
are not within your ssh by application In writing 10
tns supsnsendent win receive sneh inform Non 40
he pu.sesscs or can obtain. W. =. SMITH President