The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1878-01-27
Full Review Of This Impor-
tant Subject.
THREE CLASSES OF APPELLANTS.
Statistics Which Concern the
Whole State.
WAR OF PIE TITIONS

Tue question OF . now excise law Tor TINS state is
perhaps the most important which has ever arisen
connection with the sale OF liquors In any State
country. The Maine law. passed many years ago. and
having reference to the interests OF comparatively
small population, dwindcs IN the comparison. Two
months ago the provisions OF tho law OF 1857
suddenly discovered and enforced New York
city, where judges Of courts together with pro-
prietors Of liquor saloons ana citizens gen.
orally had, since that time. proceeded IN
their ways utterly ignorant OF the laws
existence. This ignorance was. OF course, the of.
spring OF enforcement OF the law, which, whom 1t
was recently sought 10 DO enforced was secuted on
account the long fail of law officers hose duty
1t was TO npprise those who were amsnabe TO it that
they were violating It. slight but insufficient
Ing was given last year. but It left Tor Judge
Davis III December to notify the Police Department in
York of the arbitrary right which tho police have
since exercised against saloon keepers In that city
who were not innkeepers we'll within the terms OF
tho law
GREAT INTERESTS AFFECTED.
The interests affected by the decision Of Judge
Davis, and the subsequent action Of the police arc
much greater than those which appear on a cursory
view Setting aside for moment the moralities
which always come up for discussion when liquor
drinking Is alluded TO, glance at tho economies in
oroer. Liquors and wines support In their manuiac-
ture immense numbers Of people. Their sources are
folds and Vineyards where the most sober aud indus
trious multitudes employed. Although
tho statistics have been exactly col
lated, 1t would be curious compare tho
bushels OF barley and OF rye, and indeed OF corn,
which 60 tho United States TOR tho production OF
whskcy, with the number oil bushels which 20 TO pro-
duco bread. The question now agItatod here, how
ever, is ono which concerns the State OIL New York.
II is therefore appropriate TO consider just in this
connection those productions Of he soil which
most peculiar TO this State.
There Ia substantially no use for hops excepting In
the man uiacure of fermcnted and distilled liquors.
The annual production OF hops in the United States is
%, SOC, 900 pounds OF which the State oil New York
produces the enormous proportion OF 1900 900
pounds far short Of ihree-quartcrs OF entire
production OF the country. California, which pro.
ducos two crops in each year, the only State which
grows moro barley than New York.
BARLEY
Now York in 1874 had 277, 900 acres OF land planted
with barley, anu tho production exceeded 900 900
bushels which wero marketed for over SO, 800 600
Tho use OF barley Is Tor mailing, and Other uses
oil barley malt are Insignificant in comparison with
use IN brewing anu dis!iing: Considering the guam
titles OF malt imported from Canada and the est IL
is certain hat mo barley grown 10 Now York State
bears but small proportion 10 tho quantity OF that
grain consumed IN inns State IN tho manufacture OF
ale, beer and spirits.
DIsrILLERlxs AND BREwKRiEs.
les. employing 3,275 hands, whose annual wages ex-
coed 81 O0O, 900. Tho prime value OF mo products
tho Iu imposition OF tas.xoseds 0'' The
brewercs OF the State produce nearly onethird of
tho total manufacture OF malt liquors In the United
States aid pay to the general government a revc-
nue. OF So, 10 1000 pcr annum.
REVENUE FROM LIouoR..
OF the immense federal revonuc from spirits Now
York pays but small proportion as far as concerns
tho direct gallon but of the 63 600 900 OF gal
Ions OF spirits produced in the United States, which
yielded to the Treasvry $57 469, 500 last year over
one6th wore sold IN tho state Of New York and paid
toll to commerce and manufactures Tho vauo
OF spirits andled in tho State at Wholesale
by first hands exceeds tho total worth
1872 900 OF yet grownin New York rhe produc
ton OF corn Is annually decreasing In the State
manufacture OF strops spirits moves westward with
the Increased facilities OF transportation but beer
making materials are grown more largely every year.
The reason ,ssmplc Alcohol Is the most concentrated
product OF grain, hftysix pounds being reduced 10
fifteen pounds by the commemorative process OF dstil-
laon, wnile light liquors ike lager beer gam li.,e
in concentrated weight and are produced close TO the
consuming market. Dealers in liquor cannot afford 10
| pay freight on water.
The culture Of state is also increasing i'm
mcnsely and Western and southern New York arc
selling mo cheapv grown wines Of The rich California
soil. Methods of manufacture have recently greatly
improved, and thousands Of acres OF rocky land,
available Tor any other usc have been devoted to tho
profitable culture OF tho vino.
| PROHIBITION WILL ISJrRE AGRICULTURE
From these satis les II appears that serious embar-
rassment TO the trafhc IN malt and spfuous liquors
would be grave blow nj the agricultural interests OF
tho state There another question Of equal inter-
est, aud that WHAT would be the strictly
cal cnectr Last year tho liquor trade 10 tho
middle bands and last hands to nave" over
| $27O. $1,000 The further West tho production the
greater the profit on transportation aud storage
The numerous the sales the greater the incl
dental profits To all employed aud the greater the
revenues 10 tho United States, to the State aud TO
cipaliues. In addition 10 the interests OF New
York State In the manufacture, transportation aud
sale OF domestic liquors, there is AN immense indus
lions amounted to e45c2 casks and Is soa
40 barrels 1000 OF beer and ale aud OF
sprtuous liquors 25, 6l9 casks ana II 927 Gases.
This, then, rs statistical and economical view OF
subject OF which Legislators mere arc pitcousy
ignorant 1t is IN fact the practical view
| THREE KINDS or PETITIONERS
But there three classes OF petitioners before the
Legislature, US follows VINO make three different rep
RESERVATIONS In regard 10 the mattcr:-
| J. Advocates OF the enactment by this Legislature
OF new aud plain excise law, easily understood and
enforced.
! 2 Those who oppose any change in the present
laws the ground that the occasions OF would
be increased or civic law aud order endangered.
g. Absolute prohibitionists, who believe that all
sale liquors sinful and must DO suppressed.
The 1rst ground is the one taken by the brewers
and spirit dcaiors and those WHO sustain them.
MODIFIED
Tho excise reOrmcrs, as the advocates OF change
in tho laws are beginning TO be called. claim that
uuoer be theory Of the law OF 1851 there should be
modification IN favor OF large cities, because they
nov roally on an inequality with tho Interior towns
IneT argument lOIloWs.-Inc purpose oil the aCt
OF 1857 to restrict tho public OF ardent spirits
SO that they would he consumed only at the homes OF
residents or boarding places OF travellers la couu-
Try villages ana towns travellers amply mmo-
dated nj the INNS. while all permanent residents
dine AZ home In large cities tho case Is
| d .ncrent In New York every business fnaa
is traveller inasmUch as his MONDAY meal s always
taken away from home al downtown restaurant,
wbicu Is ms boarding place Ia fact. There uI.
ward oil one hundred thousand such residents OF Now
YORK. not to speak OF an equal number who support
homes out OF town by business IN the city, aud come
long distances to their daily avocatoDs IRON all parts
| OF New Jersey, aojoinins Eastern states and tho
New York up-Iludson countess Tue restlu.
rants at which these people take their meals
all ntens hotels, ana 1t would be absurd, the
excise reformers shy, to deprive them OF the oppOt.
tunny Of taking their usual aud lawful rcretbfnent
because dinog IN New York or TO punish nails
those who minister to their wants. Below Four
teeDth street the hotels would not iced one hun
dreth part OF those who dine there every day. From
these facts the advocates OF mo Gcaon OF tho pres
cnt laws argue that justice requires change the