New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1896-03-24
C0lgate's
Soaps and Perfumes
unequalIed In quality and perfume.
OF THE RAINES LAW.
THE NEW LIQUOR MEASURE WITHOUT
FRIENDS HERE.

MAJOR STRONG TAKES HIS MEDICINE MEEKLY
-PREsIDENr MURRAY. OF THE EXCISE
BOARD. SHOWS THE PROBABLE
WORKING OF THE NEW SYSTEM
-rAMMANY HALL MEN
JUBILANT.
Mayor Strong declined yesterday to talk
about the Governors approval of the Raines
bill to speak Of its possible effect in this
city.
1T is just as expected" he remarked The
Governor has signed the bill and there is moth
ing left for us but to take our medicine l
have nothing whatever to say about 1t now
Controller Fitch was equally reticent.
81 am too full for utterance." ne said. when
asked what he had to say about the new liquor
law. Everybody knows what l think about
It," The Controller who has been confined to
his house with illness for q few days. and wore
slipper his left foot. looked as II he thought
that there were some things in this life worse
than the govt The Raines bill. in his view.
was clearly one Of them. but he was In no mood
to express himself
President Barker. Of the Tax Department.
said yesterday: Don't ask me about the Raines
bill. have enough trouble on my hands with
out looking for It," and Mr.. Barkers bright
blue eye swept the LONG line OF patriots
waiting to swear Off" their taxes
THE VIEWS AT THE EXCISE BOARD ROOMS.
The enactment OF the Raines bill into law
started great deal OF talk throughout the new
Criminal Courts Building Joseph Murray.
president of the Excise Board said:
THE fact that the Raines bill aboshes this
and every other Excise Board In the State after
April 80. and kills, at the same time the dis
cretionary power which has been exercised IN
the interests Of public morality In refusing
TO grant Nouor licenses to places Of dsreputable
character removes a safeguard that has Kept
New-York free from those resorts termed dens
of iniquity.
Under the Ranes law person VINO mas con-
Quoted such a resort and who may be suspected
Of any number OF crimes. but who has never oeeh
convicted OF a felony may be granted a license
to reopen business nothing Is said IN the ha'hes
measure to prevent low resort which has been
closed from opening its doors again the only
nrovision IL that the applicant for the license
must be man who has not been convicted OF
felony The present Board of Excise has closed
MANY OF these low resorts, but not In single In
stance which I can recall has any proprietor
been convicted OF felony: as a consequence o,
the Raines enactment. any keeper or the lowest
resort who has not been convicted. may have MS
license renewed and his place flourish as in other
days
MANY DIVES MAY BE OPENED NOW.
1.-The Raines bill is Objectionable particularly
because Its immediate effect Will be the Closing
OF many small places conducted as law-aoiding
barrooms while dives will be opened and DO IN
finite harm. Even Billy McGorry or McGlory' as
he is better known. has an opportunity TO reopen
the notorious 'Armory Hail. as he does not stahc
before the community as a convicted felon.
THE contention Of both political parties has
been that there should be home rule In excise ana
In all questions directly affecting the city. but
the Raines bill dehes the principle. and foists
State rule upon the citizens OF New-York.
There has been much discussion TO the ex
ercise OF discretion which is lodged In Boards OF
Excise but that discretion. instead OF being
abused has in this city. been really exercised
for the benefit and in favor OF the people at large.
as is clearly shown by the records which demon
strate a constant decrease in the number OF
saloons in New-York City in proportion 10 the
nonulatton The number OF licensed drinking
places in New-York City in 1886. when the popula-
ton was 1876 1914 S0l6; in 1894. with a popu-
lation OF l90s,295. theie were 7.Is3 drinking
places 233 less than in 1886; on January l. 1892
there were 7.640 places. So that In 1886 there was
one saloon TO every liz Of population In 1894 one
saloon to every Z4O OF popuidtioH anu ia 1919 '"e
saloon to $50 Of population.
THOUSANDS OF EXCISE CASES UNTRIED.
An attempt Is made in tn. Raines law TO
restrict the number Of saloons by imposing
high license fee. but the difficulty in this law
is that the revocation OF licenses lies largely
with the Observation-Disclosures Office In practical
effect this will be OF very little value. ana
no better illustration is needed than the fact
in the Dstrict-Attorney's ONCE more than 5000
excise cases In my opinion. the ideal law Is
one which would limit the number OF saloons
and impose a reasonable license fee. and be-
ueye that the State will sooner or later adopt
policy OF this kind
For the last few months excise legislation
has had considerable attention. Many think
that they have solved the problem Mr. Raines
would now have believe that his tax Is JUST
the thing The Chambe- OF Commerce would nave
raised the license fee and distributed the moneys
differently from what Mr.. Rainess law will do
The Ranes law abolishes all Excise Boards by
April go The Chamber Of Commerce would have
had them serve their terms OF three years and
then abolish them. From neither source have
we heard much Of the present excise laws-that
u.s. those in force up TO to-day. If you Will study
the three plans you will find that outside OF the
high license fees In the Raines law and the
Chamber Of Commerce plan. all the good features
NJ both were in the excise laws in operation
yesterday.
LOSING SIGHT OF THE MAIN QUESTION.
1.-THE most important feature OF good excise
measure seems TO have had little consideration
That feature is the character OF the place where
q uouor business Is conducted In legisating.
Tho most important question should be. How can
the saloon be improved? BY passing measure
,hat will enable tn. saoonkeeper TO make
hotter living than ne now is making, and en-
courage him to conduct a legitimate business.
strictly observing the law? 1t seems to me
that the true solution Is TO limit the number OF
..,oo,. so that there shall not be than