New-York tribune., 1881-12-27
RRr4KIYG THE EXCISE Law.

OPINIONS OF DR. CROSBY AND d. j. WHITNEY oN
THE PRESENT STATE OF AFFAIRS
"As the President of the Society Ior
the Prevention Of Crime what Il your oph.oh oi 'no
report Of the Excise Commissioners TO Mayor ur"SU
asked a TRIBUNE reporter yesterday OF the rev. III
Howard Crosby.
"is uudoubtedly the fairest report that has been
given IN years but there ore some gorgeous hhH'o
In it, For instance, there hut seventy-Ohe UNI
censed saloons reported while the truth Is mat lhee
are several hundred places where liquor IL sou
without o license from the Excise Comnlsslohers' t'
fact we know from the number OF licenses graneu ny
the United States Internal Revenue Bureau douOl I"
there is single iquorshop in the city that mas ho
United States license It is imperative necessity, Ior
the United States Courts do not pigeOnhoe ndctmeAts'
and the saoon-keepers cannot bring political influence
to bear in those courts so they get license from the In
terua Revenue Bureau 10 sell liquor, and one from 'o
Excise Commissioners TO sell ale and beer ana so are
safe from arrest by the United states ocias ana cy
do not fear the city authorities
"Thc report says that IN Glass l, which by the law oi
Ncw-York State, ia limited 10 hotels, there
are 4,l70 licensed places. These hgurcs
are nearly 1000 short. That is there nearly 5000
places the city where nrstclass United states IL
is held and where liquor is sold, but nearly 4ooo
of this number have only malt hquor license from the
city, thus defrauding the City Government OF over
100000 annually. With regard 20 Class =, which 10 re-
striced wholesale liquor stores, have no knowledge
Glass g. in which there S.7i3 licenses IL totaiy
wrong as have already explained out Of thcde 3''4"
places not 500 do not sell liquor in violation OF Their
licenses. and the Excise Board Is TO blame lof Allowing
them 10 retain their licenses 49,,
Whst is your opinion of the present Excise Baardi
1T is composed OF honorable men, men vastly SUI
perior TO those forming the former Board oeneVe
had riacs and for tbiS fact thew deaerye much credit
The chief fault with these is that they hod the per
nicous theory that they nave night to MAKE ans pace
hotel by their own power thIONen sHan oD'c! liz
OF the law. 1t is my opinion that me city ean never
check the crime rOwyism and paupersm and decrease
It's taxes nnti this false pncipe IS aDad0ned anu ,Ic
law is honestly enforced consider that the one great
mission itself and not the men composing IT, The men
honest in their intentions 10 carry out the law bu
United States suffer such deception 70 be practscd
them. What want is an Excise Commission whlch
not allow inan to say he keeps hotel because he has
three toy beds iii drawer undor his bar l
courts s gong soon 10 ad ndR tct c.' the matter am
anxious to know what the law means when IL SAYS maj
man shalt Sc whskey to he drunk on the premises
unless he keeps hotel. -
What do yon think OF the action OF the police in re-
gard to unlicensed saloons ~
" rhe Police Commissioners have done all theY coni,
ana the whole force; from the superlh'Gneeht 10 tno
arTt "a sao foI y.,n the law and he asks
!si ToI vii io zoo the Court and present chac as lie
YOu say you TOO busy, and there the oMCers
20 RS"ea see T6eth ere the license n% is observed
and citizens viii rot take the timc TO press the charges
Have the Excise Commissioners closed many Of the
places of bad reputatlOni' T.
"Thcy have no power TO do that They can only take
away the license from such place, ana tLcy should ~
once report the place the police Icanuot say whether
is done not hut the number OF these dsreputdhc
places has largely decreased within the past Iear, ana
those where hquOr is sold mostly doing II without
license, and for ths the police are r,sponsibIe.'
D. J. Whitney, The CCeT OF the Society FOR tue IrcVcn-
tion OF Crime, who binE- the charges against INC lol
tors the Excise Law, not 80 cncut VAIN the O1m
mis-iDncrs az Dr. Crosby had been. lie said:
written the Excise Board q letter, WllCh mas
not answered yct IN winch aSA why th"ie are
3GOO saloons holding Licenses from tie Jncd STATE, 10
-plItuDCs liquors which Oul' nave cl hcrnrcs l"N'
malt LIQUORS the Board 8lIO" rd The CITY Q"
be deIrdde4 IN tls way. Every one Oi those "'uO uth
so for ns Ctunc |,H nc Should pay 7tI me
ueulb tAc Board are personally rcsp1as!t lJI tIr
deficiency, Iad also liable 10 c ptdchcd Tor NO-
laf!ug Their oath, regard 10 licensing improper
places. Inc OF rHI- state very explicit on
the subject OF granting licenses and they arc violated
every day 10y present Board. lta report 20 the
Ma, does the true condition al duar- Al ii,
ana Hhrrs Oi the Board kuU" II, 100 ihty are
Influenced by political friends ana AaIV moi the stamina
tn rerusc license when one - asked tor Tines"
fdr better than the former members ot the
Board, hut there is ,t room for WPrubtm nr "HltAc
other day called The attention OF Comm 20 the
fact tHat man hOoug Motel license wnG nId only
1Z-tr, built U the sidewalk. lie admitted iLc Hc'
bat o.ui the harm u granting iccI,e 60 tu.l
place. 90, though ami every -urn license D. Illegal
the Commissioners ccr-Hy legally iehpon5lDc
tor giving IL
DO YOU think The Police Board does its G.ty -
Why, TO for its very Narnai by Wnci the police
men are instructed is made in direct violation OF ho
0i tnc state and can bc all torn 10 pieces H
brought before stat" Court. A. 20 thc report of the
pOhce clJsur those dives in NlEtidye. ana ADJACENT
streets wncrc licenses nave Dccn revoked, t D. uI-
true they nave done uOJAng OF the had. III re are
nov in this city go unIc'natd saloons selling a'r pcrf
..y