The New York herald., 1879-02-26
VIRGINIA'S LIQUOR LAW.

NUISANCE TO THE PEOPLE AND DIsAPPoINT-
MENT TO THE TREAsURY-A REVENUE OF
EIGHTY THOUSAND INSTEAD OF A MILLION
DOLLARS.
RICHMOND. Feb. 20. 1879.
The present session of the General Assembly is
nearly over. and with it the "Moffat bell punch as
the register is Familiarity known. has well nigh rung
out its own death knell in the Old Dominion The
scheme appears to have been absurd from the begin
ming, and the law by which it was sought to be put
in operation utterly inefficient that failure
has followed it, and disaster and general contempt
are about to overwhelm 1t. When the law was
passed at the session of its defects pointed
out by the small minority who opposed it. They
claimed that its provisions impracticabe. and
the method provided for collecting the tax
neither feasible efficient 1t was urged by Sem
ator from this city that the cities would pay the tax
and the counties ignore the law and that it only
another device to saddle the burden of taxation on
trade. commerce and enterprise. The results have
justified these predictions. Eleven cities and towns
in the State. with population of 157 000 have paid
tax of s142.0 while ninety nine counties. with
population of l.25O.OOO. have paid tax of only
$4,000. Owing to adeay. which also Disseminated
against the cities. in putting the law into operation
the registers not started until October. 1877.
though the law requiring them was passed in March
til September. 1873. But allowing for the differ
in the time. the amount OF tax paid by the
eral counties is rdculously small and Incompetent
sible any fair theory For instance the county of
Buchannon paid $34 49, while the county Of Pittsyl-
vania. with the city Of Danve. pays S7.164 49, The
disproportion in wealth and population will not
count for this in any manner torn, and the nevi
table conclusion arrived at is that the "cranking of
the bell in the register is almost wholly neglected in
the counties.
NET RESULTS.
The liquor sellers have been forced to pay $35. 1870
for the Moffatt registers-each one costing SO
while the net increase Of the old
system Of specific licenses has been little
$4,000. This is the result after all the extravagant
predictions Of DR.. Mofatt and the advocates Of the
register. who claimed that it would support the
State government. the public schools, and 70 far
toward paying the State debt. In the 'liquor bell
punch" these rural statesmen had discovered the
philosophers stone of taxation, but the scheme has
turned out only to be good thing for the con-
tractors for the register who have been paid for the
machines; good thing for DR.. Moffatt, but hard
thing for the liquor sellers and the poor people who
are out of pocket, and bad thing for the State.
which has made ridiculous exhibition of its inca
pacity for business. and which has become a laugh
ing stock for the country at large and has obtained
$4,000 of additional revenue out Of a tax which was
pledged to produce at the very least s1.oOO,OOo
The truth OF the matter is the punch" is a
boomerang 1t came back to plague the inventor.
If it was enforced it would relieve the finances.
would greatly help to pay the State debt and break
up the stock in trade of the readusters and repuda
tors. OF whom DIR. Moiatt is chief; but if repealed
1t will damage Motiatt and his party still more The
cities the manstay and support OF the debtpay
ing sentiment; but large power in tho cities
asperated ut the attempt to saddle the whole debt on
them and that attempt persisted in they threaten
to join the readjusters and thus give them control
Of the cities and consequently OF the stock as the
IQff a ready ma ntipa1
consequences are too serious to be encountered for
the purpose Of experiments in finance; hence the
to force Moatt and his readjusting allies to enforce
his law by appropriate legislation they will
peal it. They offer him this alternative. and will
certainly drive him to issue. The general
objective point Of those who seek to amend
the Motiatt Register law is to provide for its more
numerous. Among them is one to punish by fine
and imprisonment any saloon keeper whose bar
keeper fails to register drinks whether done wlfuy
| or not The present law only Furnishes the bar
keeper. or ordinary keeper retail liquor dealer
who wilfully fails to register The amendment pro-
poses punish the bartender and barkeeper both
the servant and the masterfor neglect of this duty
whether wilfully or not. Then there are those who
urge police system to enforce this law instead OF
| leaving it to an informer. as at present The in
former does not operate against the liquor dealer
| "wOrth . cent"
RADICAL LIQUOR LAW
Another provision offered requires that every tax.
| erty to be made for assessment OF taxes.
return the Quantity OF liquor bought by
from any person other than licensed retail ;nmar
dealer in this State. In other words. the Mofatt law
| taxes all liquors consumed in barrooms and all
liquors purchased from dealers in the State but the
amendment taxes also all liquors purchased by cit-
from persons not licensed In the State and from
all others out Of the State, whether in Baltimore
New York Boston. This is the application OF the
tax to the private affairs OF every individual III
the State 1t is searching and than
any income tax for 1t examines into and makes pub
lie and levies taxes upon the domestic habits, hos
pitaity. &c OF the citzen and it is strongly antic
at.ft thatf hsp ts.,<t
ability the repeal of the Mofatt law will follow
result.
PRACTICAL OPERATION or THR REGISTER
The register u revenue collector is varously
| viewed by the barkeepers BY the honest and ma
joriy Of the saloon keepers and liquor dealers it
disked and hated; by those that disregard the
crank and don't register 1t is rather liked and en-
| couraged. called upon prominent uptown saloon
keeper Mr. Tom Redford. who religiously registers
every drink. and asked his views about the machine
He was unqualified in his dsapproval Of it. and said
| it was disgrace to the state. "why. SIR" said he
''no other class of merchants would tolerate it, No
other persons but those who patronize bars would
submit to it, because it discriminates in its appca
ton. 1t is also inconceivable source of annoy
you shall il you only remain here little
| WHILE" did remain and presently customer.
| after taking what is known among tipplers "a
| chromo." pretty stiff drink of whskey. put ten
cent piece ON the counter and started for the door,
| The barkeeper called, Hello. sir; this Is not
| enoughl"
CusroMER-Thats not enough9 You don't mean
to say you charge more than ten cents for drink Of
| whiskey these times. do you?
BARKEEpEn-we don't in reality charge but ten
cents but the State levies two cents and half each
and every drink and must obey the Law and collect
it,
CusroMER-The State and the law be -. And
out went the customer but the barkeeper had to reg
lister the drink just il he had been paid the two
cents and half tax. Customer No. then came and
called also for whiskey. handing quarter in pay
mcnt. His change ten cents and little pasteboard
card representing two cents and halt drawback
returned to him. He looked Indignantly at the card
and asked. "What is this?'
BARKEEPER-It represents two cents and a half and
makes your change exactly after taking out the tax.
CUsroMER-ButI gave you money and want money
back.
The barkeeper then explains the operation of the lit
tie card which effect that the time he came
his drink would only cost him ten cents with the
card. making two drinks for quarter. This in
order to facilitate the collection of the tax and make
change. but the customer demanded money, and
when he was handed three cents did not seem well
satisfied. In this instance the barkeeper paid ON
count OF the State one-haf OF cent.
And SO the law seems to work everywhere.