New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1890-10-10
DIR. CROSBY ON EXCISE LAW.
lie GIVES His TESTIMONY BEFORE TIE FaS-
SETT COMMITTEE.
BAD SYSTEM BADLY ADMINISTRATORS IN
TEmLSTlNG BEGINNING ALSO MADE on
THE COUNTY CLERKS OFFICE.

Committees investigation OF the Excise Department.
not confined. like most Of the witnesses VINO pre-
reded him. by the tr,nmcl> IL Office. aud he blame"
the administration Of the system much As the system
itself for Iii. fact thai the liquor interest L.
the bOldc>t habiiual aw-bicakcr IN Ncw-lork ~
his opinion that TOO much discretion Is gwen 10
Excise Commissioners. and that frall human nature
if not reinforced by much "blckhonc.' cannot MAIN
tain determined stand arains; the political influences
welded by the liquor interest in this city. lie al"
not directly accuse the present commissioners Oh
susceptibility 10 these influences. but he intimate"
directly cnuugl that the Beard had an evil ou"r LOT
The respectable community AID he ca>Ntd IL as III
fcror To the Board which Immediately prrceocn H.
After finishing the Excise inquiry the committee
took for review the County Clerks Office which since
the change from the fee to The salary system mas De
come financially burden 10 the CITY, IL. NJ la'c'
the onical accountant of tn" committee. submitted
MAJ, Of figures bearing on this point an" lhOlNa> r.
tiiloy Deputy County Clerk from l-ej to the end OF
I--- wao called to explain the dccNa~e III the re-
,ciIe %. the Office. Nh Tate and Mr. ti!iOy boh
attributed it in large to the utle guarantee
companies. which have taken away great deal oi
w"li, fIOm Tic County Clerks O'''e
Or. Crosby SAID IN answer 10 Nj. WINS that he WAS
Il clcr-yuaI and had lived il Sew York city all his
life. Tie examination then went on a. follows:
u--Ila,e you made aTy study, special OF o,crwi;e
~ the operation Of the rNC:e Boards or tie au'h's
tr.tiou of them In tie CT! ~ have sNe' s.e''''
attcUilon 10 That.
u-Wiu you p!ca-e state 10 the committee what Won
have dJlc generally that regard to liaIii N0n a.
an cApcIt: Al have been Tor thirteen Yeas Pfc'i-
dcut o. tae society .or the prevention of 'ie WIG"
has fol- lis .I, M oUje The enforcement oi Inc EAH'o
laws, whoa oih,c has brought ne constantly mo con
tact w.ta the r>,.s- Boaid> and their operations.
ais, appointed ~ The t'"'cri"I on 'hc 80
cAau.ny tIc ~Ru!" questions o fA'isc ."",, "'"
have oOi>ldcicd 1t necessary 1" ialc =" ne" ID" W '
Mod meet al. iiiai committee Wa ~ sco.,
o. m0HtnS. ant had hr"th heioIt a.!
matters CO.; ,crinE lar iN,> law hoth vi TN, 'iS
AIT all 'ilc, al tac STAT. AMI ifo.-' III :" ioI",t
1" The legislature. the report III lEGIhI pi"p"e"
lw In,,c a.c tnc sources oi my Information III re
,a.t l., thr matter oi cAC>c. =;
U.-N"N. having =" stated the source "i l",r IL.
formation viii yo state t" tnc '"inttoc ihr rr>uI. oi
az ,t.dv oi the operation ~ the t>c,c Lew, III 'i
daring thirteen years. the d.Il nN IN inH Own h';,
il inc city IA irs4d to the tNH'r "T,' ' ".n t,
so.cr> amt Not specific cAM'th III th' ocldli, VA
It ADJ T., roi>Id,. themselves appointed for the ad
cement o the liquor trade ana h" oi inc ,'.H anu
they u,c their discretion. therefore, IL Nti' i'V'c
o-Do >ou know Of any sic'ifc instance OF ina,
II :, moi %. TN, particular EAcIsc Lizard for ! iiNr
lad lc>> 10 Win tcin than via. any Oh lhcm
I:c,G IN tc J5J NY a. PA" 2 Lea i sr
and be oouicd N d.r'ht '",'I fl ,"'" ',
one Inc general e>anpc w"Hd -Nc !, iHiN mag AJAX
VIXEN petitioner ior !'c!i>c j. ,'UWH ' -" o.,er
moral ,la, ter. nrIwith, tHdltS I'll thc 'ltdr eNicc
in dat rraid. beard .iii> h''h Oh IT. own d,
rrclion AID rejects al! II tt.n'n, 'n' ,, ma p
. ,rniar ".ncc, roul not give from my mem"r'
W Us TIA, TIE ,ociet> Of which MI Whitney is an
'hrcr al,o nt,:n n ID do you live IN An
Nineteenth St. close by lrvins Pace milan. - ,.
o no You y ,h r'', t" he IN improper
he lcen,ed Or 81 ln," a. a.; nrm9ry sven
icen>ed Al could not recall 40 '"'"''''
y,r know Of c>cs ,lat have s been en-
-rn,.d for pacc> fourlccntr>l ia thc ant i,n' or
.ix ,,ars where that would arp! ~, -, ~ mo
ii,at there Wa, oppO>n.,! on "ii pan ~ @
i'rn,ius Of the Thesis place In" I'e"'"' "'"e'''
Va, gwen. H., ,,. m.,, bv the distinction which
nad nH ~ ,"siyims between the load inedIleIH
preceding the present LCaI ana c a.. Tine r,sei
IL drpS M most admirable rules winch clearly
,igliied THAT they considered l'c',, t. - H. r,jv
prnariiy ana to avor any ,rcrial iIe'g', ,h "
that Of the lquor ,c,c ao,i,1 il, i nuibcf
license, In the nN. and the Iuic, So c1 ~ ~ he
i on ca ny Mere rsidy Observed The, are not
Observed undcr The present Hoard ana "tFe ho' %
Sed IN. ' you hoau e that they are no, Observed under
The present board al CAN give %as Of ny I Inter-
QNwha, piacei An Third ave- at ., ns eo, s i;
me ra,tcuiar corner. Tile northeast eoriler wa. =,
heard 10 aye IO. selling IN T. sna tc ir ems note,
no, aDe to 60 peoaay ana ca1H"r ; apa seVe
ISnnr ". @rrs win ZOO let Of that corner In spite
Of that protest of mine, tie license was sraeu A''' U'
pto that the license far as concerned TIA. s
particular ace was canivalent to oWS r,ls VI '
The c3mm s.ioHclS have i>sfed that ihe. own
rdle in these ."y' d! LOT e s, yrm msIoriiy
81 IT, ioad ha> Inc right power /" deIAr, Al
Any Ut 5mG , d. you AoW " Wal o' the icor &c
I'd Kos 50 far As i, , rTenG@r Taa to ABIDE by
ii,cir own ric- Further than that do no' Know; ;o
Ga, one Of the &, se apI e rcri, y If
fi,c Nfis liWS III
study Of the laws ticm,e!ve, Al nn a. f.,
what in Your Judgment are TIE most serious d"e''
of Tie law here, and VIII give ,hm the bne'n &c., ~
, n' o1r,ldIn~nti Any first surSct ton ud &c
ilt there LIQUID be m'an .n ri } rmii m the
evils com ectcd with the -a"on iu>ire'N. whrh -
enrcd BY law as may e'I Il; o nc e, tnn WI.
no, lie lc,cucd nc,- Nuch Limitation Is maui 'i ,h
wI be no %nc n an EsS On. i "ard ha., ycn
cu; the very rr1 i maze hem sm"St
a"ny, S'ioi g Iimr. inn We nrIt in
our law Inc lniltlt on one aOn 10 ooo - ""'''
''' MnIcr feature Which think the ;aw ehGud hav"
endorsements. rivn; III" po,cc ,nch p"rt aH taud
, GG'mS So o, III, lW Which now exit cod not p.;y
obtain any ionsrr That +, tie H'Ht nwdre Of t,
ahuse is not only from personal obScsvat"n bnt ai.o
n an n ter, Ia" no T tG avs hat 'S s'
INTENDED to nea% The Law Of A( aa %pT y y" uo"
not on any ~ CONT. give up tie profits they had On
That day although it asans e.. law ana w ...
a.kcd them if they did not think it was VIZ M Tins
~ break the law. ] astou-hcd al thc'r an VIZ
" u,0 In ,rc ~ Tho Marty: "Ol DR. Crosby. that a
but a statute law. IL j. not a moral W Ia. gre
O.-Wa, there anything so far '"I'tdch'.a' , ~"
taN with these IuuOrtcacrs "a t0 rare an bJc' on
i'm Your mind Ia your saving "ro thcy wy a.
i,teryew 10 be confidential I lcmcn'cr TIE name
Of three Of the five do not think. hnwcvc". "ud
idcnt.f " them now Ones maine vas KANaildSh ne
uainn WAS Kane: was-l thought hAd ~ IL = d
German name: I cannot remember H. 90 not Emo"
uhcrr Kavanash's aud KaIc piacs are.
O-Are there any niher suggest "', that Nnn r'.
make that will be Of asst nee t. this committee
Al believe IL tn sc two pLut~ w'rc made by law.
that of the discretion of Tie EAcc B,ard>. ana re
ether the Irgnia q the poke" coincctf with a."
Lrc; clcs O! the law. whcr there is great Hrf"c no."
cifI.c nnt hnnU able not tIns