Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1891-06-28
TAXED TO THE LIMIT.
New Interpretations Of the Liquor License
Law Making the Trade q Dangerous In
vestment-The Immense Power of q Pro-
hibitionist on the Bench

New interpretations OF the Liquor License
Law Making the Trade q Dangerous In
vestment-The Immense Power ofa Pro-
hibitionist on the Bench.
Isn't it just possible that Macauley's
hypothetical New Zealander will moralize
on our enlightened control of the liquor
business as we do on Blackstone's defense
of the barbarous English laws to punish the
innocent families of suicides? According
to droppings heard here and there, it seems
that the last turn of the screw has been
made that the liquor trade can stand, and
Attorney c. F. McKenna opines, in a jocu-
lar but at the same time semi-serious manner,
that it may be just possible that next year
the authorities may find it necessary to dis
tribute licenses gratis or give the business
over wholly to the speak-easy people, or
possibly come to prohibition at bound, as
he says that under the new wholesale
law judge of temperance proclivities
will have power to determine whether, in
his Judgment, a wholesale house in any
given locality is necessity, and can refuse
to grant a license, as at present he has the
discretionary power in the case of retail deal
ers, and can easily involve business enter
prise in ruin. though millions of dollars
may be invested in its plant and distribut-
ing business
Mr.. McKenna also suggests that the law
ought to be made known speedily, as it is
obscure in some respects and hasn't been
fully passed upon by the courts and its pro-
visions under the ordinary method of dis
tributing such information, will not be
known for month or more.
1t is evident to all who make it study
that the liquor trade has been paying
heavy price as a condition of existence, and
that since its profits have been cut down
through the operation of the Brooks law,
many saloonkeepers are likely to hesitate
about asking for license next year. Some in
the trade are beginning to urge that if the
business is so dangerous as the guards set
about it would indicate, the friends of liquor
license had better join the prohibitionists
and cease to compound for blood money.
AT present there is a disposition to resent
the city's discrimination against liquor
dealers in charging them ten times as much
business tax on gross sales as other dealers
are charged. While some people thought
the law must be clear on this subject, e1-
Councilman and ex-Legislator O'Neill
insisted that no higher authority for the
levy could be found than the will
OF the FINANCE C0mmlttee OF COUNCILS. MI.
O'Neil stated that when he was in Council
it was - mills, but that Mr.. Littell had it
reduced to 10, and it has been that ever
since, though not warranted by law.
Messrs. G. F. McKenna and Morton
Hunter said that of course the levy could
not be collected, as it was unconstitutional,
as taxation must be uniform on the same
class of subjects.
. City Assessor Larlxin said the Finance
Committee claimed the power to make the
discrimination, but that it hadn' t the shadow
thereof; though, as liquor dealers were ter
rorized, they had always submitted. As for
the Board of Assessors, it had nothing be-
fore it but to execute the order of the COM
mittee and make the levy.
r. H. Lindsay said: ''Of course it's
illegal, but the saloon keepers, being
chumps, we're afraid to make fight. -
OF course if it be true as asserted that
only small percentage of saloonkeepers can
make money and pay 81, 900 license, "a mercan-
tile tax, business tax Che latter ten times
what other businesses pay water tax, house
rent, ETC., they will either go out of the bus
iness, run it illegally, or make fight.