Morning journal and courier., 1884-02-18
SqnrnaI arl0 Gonrisr.
SINGLE COPIES TWO CENTS.
Monday, February IS. 1854.
..LICENsE,, In BOSTON

The high license system continues to grow
in popular favor at the West, and there are
| Indications that it viii not be long before it
will receive trial in the East, Already in
| several cities in this part of the world the
matter is under discussion. In Boston a
number of influential citizens have petitioned
that the fees for license to sell intoxicating
liquors be advanced to the maximum allowed
by law. The maximum license of the first
class in Boston, to sell all kinds of intoxicat=
ing liquors to be drunk on the premises, is
81 900; minimum, 500; the present rate
is $500 for innholders, and 1925 for common
viotuallers. The maximum license of the
second class to sell malt liquors and light
wines to be drunk on the premises, is $3.50;
minimum, $50; present rate. 800. A hear
ing upon this petition has been given by the
police commissioners of Boston, at which
over forty gentlemen were present, including
some of the leading citizens 1t is interest
ing to notice some of the reasons for high
license put forward at this hearing.
The Rev. E. E. Hale said that there were
at the present time three Thousand dealers in
the city of Boston. Each of the dealers had
in his employ two or three clerks, which in
creased the number of individuals interested
in the liquor traffic to ten thousand persons
at the lowest calculation. He would attempt
to reduce that number of persons one-half
at least, so that instead of ten thousand per-
sons controlling affairs, there would be half
that number attempting to control affairs.
A higher license would not perhaps reduce
the amount of liquor sold, but it would re-
duce the number of people who could thus
unduly influence politics. He wished dis
elimination in putting the heaviest license
fee upon those places where the most liquor !
was sold. Mr.. Hale was followed by Mr.. |
L. Edwin Dudley, secretary of the Law and |
Order League, who read statistics to show |
that if the maximum price were charged for |
the privilege of selling intoxicsnts the income |
from that traffic, instead of being $298, ,665, |
as was the case last year, would have been
S., ,852, ,21O, or. allowing for decrease of ap-
pIcants, 81 .4s1 ,768.
Mr.. Robert Treat Paine, jr., was one Of
those who supported the petition. He said /
that if by taxation the commissioners could |
take away even one-tenth of the amount of
liquor in each glass, the drinker would be
benefited. The intention of the law in
maximum and a minimum was
to have the large cities establish the highest
licenses the small towns the lowest. Boston, /
as tbs largest city in the State, should have
the maximum license Saloons which could
spend thousands of dollars on equipments
and decorations could surely afford to pay
high license. Mr.. Henry J. Darling said that |
the license question could be tested only by
imposing maximum, not by any medium,
and not by excluding beer. He would have
the highest license imposed on the common
for they numbered 1911 as
against 55 innholders, and consequently did |
the most harm.
This and much more was said, and then |
Mr.. Faxon, the well known prohibitionist
arose and made some remarks. Mr.. Faxon
said that he didn't believe they could tax the
devil out of existence. If the maximum rate
could be enforced it would be good, but he |
didn't believe that the present rate was en-
forced. He had gone around among the
saloons aud found out this. At one time the
licenses of twenty places had been revoked,
and yet Mr.. Faxon had bought liquors at
sixteen of them. He went to saloons of
four legislators and found that liquors were
Jold there under every sort of license. He
aever knew twenty places where they sold
peer where they didn't sell rum and whisky
the man who called for it was sound
de had endeavored to enforce the law in
Quincy, bat he found that when the liquor
lealers we're driven from Quincy they went
o Boston.
There is to be another hearing on Wednes-
lay of this week, and it would not be sur
,rising if the stir should result in something.
Boston is evidently in need of a change in
Ter system of dealing with the sale of intox-
eating liquors, for the number of licenses
ssued has grown from 2,235 in 1879 to 2, 764
n 1888, or an increase of twenty five per
ent. in five years, which is utterly out of
roportion to the increase in population.