New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1883-08-18
THE EXCISE QUESTION.
THE BOARD DEFENDS ITS METHODS.

THE BOARD DEFENDS lis MEihoDo'
REPLY TO THE CHARGES OF THE COMMISSIONERS
OF ACCOUNTS.
tn. Commissioners Of Excise yesterday present. ted
10 the Mayor their reply to the report OF tne Ovn
;s;oners Of Accounts on the sys tenn OF accounting
aud the methods of conducting the business OF the
ETeise Department. In reply 10 the sugges,
ton of the excessive proportion Oh S'G n anu
the Commissioners say that applicants for such
licenses are required to make affidavit that they
will not soil strong liquors permit them TO be sold
and thar while for three years the sale of malt
Iauors in this city has increased nearly 90 per cen
the number of ale and beer licenses has decreased IL
Tn reply to the comparison instituted between the
number of ale and beer licenses issued by the INFER
nal Revenue Department and the Board OF Excise,
the affidavit of au applicant submitted to show
that many lager beer dealers are not genera,y
aware that two grades of licenses are issued oy the
Revenue Department, and that they act on the au-
vice of an Internal Revenue officer IN taxing out
liQuor license. - -.
The Commissioners of Accounts introduced r., Inc
comparison between the annual records OF the EA-
else Board and the Internal Revenue Coil euiiolS'
The Excise Commission say 1t Is not 'rutniui GA
blbit. They say:
by this Board given 1884 aDd the NUMBER LOT are
aud beer $40 Tais Mould gave a. the 9is Inc
books - of SSs Department show such o recOr r
ssS ~ W. and for The past year eS13 Where did
the Commissioners get these figures II any such dis.
as this existed the Commissioners should nave
discovered a corresponding deficiency in the cash
account
There Ia n difference however. the Excise COM
,nIssoncrs saw between the aggr4 gate huihpel W,
licenses issued by both Departments, the InteI s
Revenue being the greatest This is accounted i9r
nv the fact that wholesale dealers and druggists 90
not take out retail licenses from the Excise board
Disordorly houses also Licensed oy tne in!eina
Revenue officials, while the Excise ColnnisS'onoi
are prohibited by State laws from doing So
With reference 10 the system OF dating Hcehses
the Excise Commissioners claim that lucy are co'n-
plying strictly with the law ana say
Under the former method of dating licenses from the
of the license nsteaa OF on tue uae
ri ssne dealer might his application approved on
the LIST Of May sell Tor monin ow bemght then
fake out his license and produce IL on inc I " Pio.o
that il covered period intervening between tue e1
praon OF the old license ana tne uate IN m0 %
one was issued aud consequently that he was censeu
dcesr III. the time IL was meet such cases the pres
eut system was adopted In large mum er VI cases
dscrepances.occur between the dae OF me b o
the old license and the granting OF the new one o
ire Commissioners sit daily nothing Is lost 10 tue CITY
through lack OF vigilance ON their part
Accompanying the communication oil the Commas
sioners is the opinion of w. A Fowler. gwen when
be was counsel TO the Excise Board on MaIch 20,
70 be dated on the day 1t is granted, ana thas IL
must not be granted until tbs licensee complies
with all the requirements oil the law, auons tueu
the payment of the license fee"
With reference to the recommendation OF the
comn,ssioners of Accounts that snreties for licenses
shall be arranged alphabetically, the Excise
Commissioners say that the licensees are arranged
Enthusiastically in books S@1t for the purpose, ana
recommending these are tho suretles. Inc EXCISE
Commissioners also snDmit another OPINION gwen
nv Mr. Fowler on May 20 1882, III when he de-
riares that IN this particular the commission has
complied with all the requirements OF the law
The Mayor took the reply OF the Excise Oom-
missiopers and will examine 1T at his leisure