The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1878-03-22

bought the Stnts right OF an indicator patented |
before the Munott machine. and brought Il SUIT !
in the United states Circuit Court claiming tunt
tn" latter was an infringement ON their patent.
The Muii,'tt patent. however. was conurincl. |
and tin last ground thus taken from under their
frct They were compelled to submit To ~" INV
These suits and the difficulty in r"aiiiv iur- |
nishing the machines kept tn" law practically
inorrrnive unit lasi Ortol@r ~ thur "ln,2s, ,2
too soon to attempt IN accurate statement ol ,n'
financial results. Tie Auditor "i rune A.
counts, however. sent 4 rormun,'mlon 10 tle
Assembly on Jan ~. lns"d on the returns r.
rcivcd from thirty-thrcr counties out oi ninety
nine in the state. Some oi the ruuhiWs.
however. refuse to grant hr,ns'N' M,
law the money r"rived durins IN. ,nn..nn-
ing ycar will nggrcgaic SG"uN. nEnlns, sz'1.- ~,
creasr of s337 sos. Without this law tins money
would come from the pockets "i ihrm"rs Hni
keep s337. sos in the bands oi the producing and
industrial class"S ot tlr comm unity. bul ne
net revenue from the first venr * No criterion
.or the future. the Slo lmiu iut ~ IT, I'El,SuI
hns hcrn returned tn the iealcr AMI thr rebate
in the specific tax has 3'-o hrrn nn"w,u as
credit. Tho former ALLOWANCE ,nnnol r,rur
again and tho Auditor suggests tnm thr lnw hr
So amended as not to allow rebate iYr 'hn
reason that no such aliowanr" Is madc IN any
other cas-, whore n sp"i'tc license tax II I'M
posed. lie makes another complaint. Tho
and unys II in State scrip or coupons. which he
huvs nj q discount of Twenty-Five per cent He
thinks this should be- stopped
For the ruruos" of STUDYING the work ings ot
the law the writer las, week visited Richmond.
Fredcrckshure Norfolk, IynchhurS. ,,,iord3ns;;
continually with public men, liquor drhlcrs.
bnrtcnders. farmers. and mechanics. and. his
surprise. found every man III favor Oi lii"
measure. The farmers favor the taS because It
removes burden from their shoulders. 1h"
officials favor IT on the ground that 1t promotes
publ" morals and gets a tax ont ui prOpl" who
never paid one. One man termed II the host
temperance law that had ever been drawn. The
liquor dealer backs II hrcausr II does away with
the credit system. and the Indicator acts rs u
check upon his bartender. for the amount Of
money in the drawer must tails with the regis
| ter. In every ease liquor sellers claim that
| their receipts have been increased. \ propri-
rinr in Richmond told me that his gain in rn-
| cripts for the first eighteen days was $3.50.
| In Culpeppcr hotel keeper claimed that
through the dccrense in the credit SYSTEM, 1t
! dealers have raised the price uf whi-key from
ten 20 fifteen cents glass. II a man takes
drink alone he pays his fifteen cents thus Civ
| To- the profits OF the seller. Ii two take drink
tsstn"r ,n"y get IT. ior twcn'ynNs r,n's NE
| II man treats two persons besides himself. he
pays forty cents, the State c-itins c"nis. and
! odd drink the liquor dealer - 'urcs this extra
profit. and il would bee singular indeed If be-
should r.vilr n law that puts money in his
pocket. Besidcs this. it Keeps bunimcrs away
from his saloon, and entirely stous the credit
| system: for man must have hard cheek who
| asks another to pay , = cents for the prlVi-
| lcge of trusting him. So much for the dealer.
The bartender Is satisfied. probably because the
| law gives him nm opportunity 10 II knock down"
the extra q, cents without lear ot detection.
, The consumer finds II To his interest to hear
| cause he would rather the extra five cents paid
by him should 20 into the Statr treasury thnn
| into the Liquor sellers money drawtr In the
| treasury the money may r"lieve him from 50
| much tax. but in the dealers money drawer lie
| regards II H. so much personal rolbery.
| The law iS enforced ~ strictly n the circum-
stances will permit hut som" dealers have h"pn
indicted for attempts to eNade 1t. In Norfolk
| indictments are pending for dirrct violations.
| Ii Is thought that there is some cheating in Pc
,ersburg and Lynchhprg. hut in Beverly Doug
| lass Congress District II il sand To- work To-
charm. prominent proprietor IN Lynchhurg
| made his returns at the end Of the first month.
| The assessor nualyZed the figures and found
that they turned put only two drinks a day He
| mentioned the matter 10 tho seller, saving that
! there must be som" mistake. as b" knew his sa-
| loon WIS one OF the most popular in the city.
The proprietor coorcd and threw the blame on
his bartendrrs, He declared that they must
| After privately examining th"in he struck the
bell OF n" nleohulic register 1uo times. and thus
| added $3.50 to thu months TAX. Tie Rs-csSnr
accepted the figures and the collector got tn"
| money. The operations of the double license
rs retail dealer and Keeper uf "A htrropm gives
dishonest men an opportunity !" beat IN"
law. hut II Is a small business. They sell n half
pint toa customer. who leaves III" room with the
liquor and divides Il with his comrades outside"
the premises. Under the retail license tn" tax
il q, cents per half mint while under the bar
room license Il would be ga for every drink
into which 1t is divided.
But the .avorte mode Of cheating is 10 ring
| the bell Of the malt register for acknowledgements
| giving the dealer a clean two cents on every i'm
bibaion, Tho law provides that the he'll shall
| be rung in the presrnre Of the buyer. While he
is busy pouring down his drink the harkeeper
| turns the malt crank. The buyers ey" is not
on the alcoholic dial. but rs he hears theh" he
! -upposes 1t all right pays hh' money and slopes.
/ II hr detects tha imposition and protests III"
bartender declares that he inadvertently runG
The wrong register and correciS the m.saSr
| The severe pains and penu.irs are imposed for
| wilul violation ~ the law. and a plea oi in
advertsnce can easily be- sustained
Complaints ara made concerning the work
inss oi the law IN Alexandria and on III" border