New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1895-12-27
1T DOES Not PLEASE Mr.. MILLER.
THE EX-SENATOR on RAINESs PROPOSED
EXCISE BLI~FAVORs EXTREME

Ex-senator Warner Miller returned to the city
Yesterday from his Herkimer home, where h en-
joyed his Christmas dinner, and was looking well
when seen last evening at the Fifth Avenue Hotel
which he now makes his home while in Newly OK
Mr. Miller was asked what he thought Of the eX-
else bill which Senator John Rare$propcses 10 III
troduce in the Legislature his Writer.
II have had opportunity Of studying the Dill.
or even Of reading It carefuily, the ex-Sena-
tor said but / cannot say that The plan meets my
approval. It is in my view a very singular ana
peculiar method. For great cosmopolitan city
like New-York to adopt tax or license OF only
$50 on a saloon when in Philadelphia the saloons
pay license of 81 900 each. and in Boston they pay
an annual license fee of ST. 80 is remarkable 10 say
the least. II Philadelphia and Boston can pay the
sums named. it would be regarded as absurd to
place the rate in New-Yogk at the comparatively
low figure of $50.
Neither Mr.. Raines nor anybody else could call
that high license, and 1t would scarcely act as an
obstacle to the increase Of saloons. The 500,
license in Philadelphia has 10 my knowledge had a
splendid effect. reducing the number OF saloons
from 1000 to something like 14O0. They seem to
have plenty with that number. In Boston the high
license experiment has also worked well. utterly
fail TO see why licenses in New-York should be re-
duced to $780,
Mr. Miller objected to the Ohio system because,
he said there could be no control worth the name
over the liquor traffic and it might mean more
saloons than ever IL licenses unnecessarily
low.
II look upon the present system he added, "as
a farce pure and simple. violation of the law
by saloon keeper here means fine of $50, and
the lawbreaker goes back 10 mis- business TO violate
1t again as often he pleases. In Philadelphia
the Hquor-dealer who reaks the Law forfelts his
license at once and cannot go back into the bust
ness again in that city. The result is that no
saloon-keeper there is rash enough violate the
Iiouo 10 cnil thare n
In the forbidden hours"
Mr. Miller thought that NewYork saloon-keepers
might yet have to pay $500 for annual license,
and still have 10 keep closed on Sunday.
The ex-senator seemed amused at hearing OF
Mayor Strongs recent after-dinner speech in which
ne told about receiving letter from man in
Herkimer County who wanted one OF the four New
York Police Commissioners sent up there to close
the sa,oons on Sunday in Little Falls The Mayor
said that he would send the letter TO senator
Miller" ,,,--
said With a light laugh II don't live in Little
Falls. but l live in the suburbs of Herkimer. ana
dispensing liquor A New-Yorker going 10 Herki-
mer to stay over Sunday will go dry If ne doesn t
take his rum along with him These stories about
liquor being sold in Herkmer County Sunday
are believe, lies. made out Of whole cloth"
Asked about the war scare the ex-senator said:
There viii be no war War is out of the ques-
ton OF course, the two Houses passed the bill Tor
a Venezuelan boundary commission, not desiring to
war in the shape of approprat ons PRESIDENT
Cleveland's Administration has placed the country
Republicans in Congress to get 1t out II they
Mr. Miller said that he thought the bill to IN
wise measure Something must be done to raise
revenue and gel this incompetent Democratic AAd-
mnistratOn out OF the hhahcial cohdluoh INTO
which X has been plunged