The Dallas daily herald. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1873-1887, 1878-04-12
pAuRoAp TIME TABLE.
uo,.ton A. Texas Central II. II.
,exas Pacific Railway.
nnllns IN WlohItn RnIlWny.
The ,Ion'e,t Register,
Editor Of Tho Herald,

To the Editor OF Ihe llelhlh'
In your issue of yesterday you sug,
oesl that the Moiletl register peadopled
m the city of Dallas ~ u means OF rails
Inc revenue for paving the streets, "
Why not adopt II for the purpose of IN
ceislug the city revenue, and rs Dr.
Monrtt says, taxing all drinks NJ the
poIut Of consumption
Asa general rule those who drink
fine most pay the least tax, and by
means of the register you are enabled to
reach them directly A strong prejuN
dice springs up against the Moilelt reg
i.ler. or bell punch, as II is called, from
an Ignorance of its value and workings
ltis asmall machine not more than 4XS
inches attached TO the counter of each
retail dealer of drinks, Where malt
and alcoholic drinks are both sold two
are attached, one for alcohol and one
for malt drinks, and the bartender il
required TO turn II crank for each drink
taken, As the crank turns n small bell
rings, as in the street car when you pay
your fare, punch at the same
time punches u hole in q
small piece Of paper, cuts ii
oil and il drops into box, where it res
mains until taken out by the tax gath
eler, say once week, or once month |
as the case may be. This register shows
the number of drinks taken, others act
asa check on all bar tenders. 1t stops |
oil credit, from the fact that the vender
Of drinks being directly responsible TO
the city for the tax on each drink, can.
no, afford to sell on time aud pay the
city for the privilege of doing So
Over tho state of Virginia, where DR., |
Moilett lives and where the register was
first Pvt in effect tax Of five cents is
put on each alcoholic drink, and two,
and half cents OF each malt. There
are at least sixty drinks in a gallon of
Whlskey, at five cents on each drink
will give the city three dollars in every
gallon of whiskey drank in its limits
There are sixteen half pints in a gallon
OF beer; supposing each mug to hold
half pint, give eighty cents per gallon
to each beer saloon, which is about one
per cent. on the cost of the
best beer At tax OF one cent on the
glass would give the city revenue
Of sixteen cents on each gallon OF beer
in its limits Now, with the
ordinary sized beer mug, and it half
iroth, the profit is still good one to the
vendor; besides acting as "A check on his
clerk, it keeps an exact account Of the
number OF drinks sold, thus enabling
him to know the precise amount of
profits in days sales,
These registers are made at cost OF
about s. CO. The contract with Vir
gniO is SO Is, and it is likely to increase
the revenue OF that old state by at least
100000 this year.
Louisiana has adopted the Moflett
register; Chicago is discussing the
question, and the city of New York is
alive to the fact that it is the only |
means of reaching a large class of cen
sumers who pay no revenue.
know of no city that has larger |
proportion of floating population than
DALLAS; and as an evidence that they |
amblbe freely, is the fact that some forty |
saloons are sustained.
With DR.. Moffett's bellspunch regis
ter, the city would have more revenue,
the bartender more money, because
less credit and fewer frauds, and the |
consumer would assist in lifting the city |
out of debt, with paying one nickel
more than he otherwise would. X.