The sun., 1896-07-01
RAINES LAW IN FULL SWAY
ABOUT $500 LIQ UoR SELLERS HERE
AND IN BROOKLTN QUIT.

Rush or Late Applicants for Certineates-
Tho Two cities Have Taken In Nearly
Seven MILLION Dollars OF Tax So Far-A
WARY Chinero Applicant In Now York.
Yesterday was tho last day whom, under the
licenses Issued by tho old Excise Boards. liquor
could be legally sold IN this State. All IL
censes granted under tho old law, although is
sued for longer term, expired by operation
OF the Liauor Tax law nt midnight last night.
Because of thio fact the State Excise Bureau
at Madison square was besieged Yesterday by
belated applicants for liquor tax certificates
who had decided at the last minute to pay f1ve-
sixths Of $500 for tho privilege of continuing
In the liquor business until May /, 1897.
Knowing that thero was to be q big force of
these eleventh hour applicants, Cashier Pitkin
and his assistants went to tho Excise Bureau
yesterday prepared TO stand siege. They
provisioned their fortress with scores of sand
wiches and enough seltser water for twenty
four hours and went 70 work. They found q
line Of saloon keepers in waiting when they
opened the doors, and that line remained un-
broken, by reason Of constant accessions,
until quite late last evening.
At midnight they had taken In $310,1 1902,
making the total receipts here S4.731, ,3s2.59.
More will be taken in to-day. supposing the num-
ber Of certificates applied for yesterday and to-
day comes to 400, that would make a total of
7,T14 applications, as against OILS licenses In
II,
difference OF l,4o4, which, allowing for float
ing licenses, indicates that less than 400
hs sx e where Snor Sc sd have
culiar features OF the workings Of the new law
is thai, only, five persons have taken out certi-
druggists did not want them. because tine
can BE- made under a pharmacists certificate
only on a. rhysician's prescription, and the
physSian must not be eonnSeted with the he
Rilsd s%ice and ono prescription cannot DO
Druggists have preferred to, pay $500 for
to- to sell to any person quantities M less than five
Under the old law no ChinRman was ever
able to secure q license to sell liquor, in this
city, ,ss some applied for lieseses. b1, their ap.
sale Rrocers sold rice wine in quantities to res
taurant keepers cold 1t to their customers. Tho
Cinnamon kept on tho right side OF the Fed.
tax. Although the sale Of rice wine or whiskey
was so common, only one Chinaman has been
epo Ths IN @ t9r sae
the proprietor OF the place at 33ls Mott street.
Yesterday an application was made for store
Of 8 Mott street, wo Kee Fcng signs the ap.
rlication and in bis affidavit swears that ho Is
State, and owns q half interest in the We Kee
Aired R. Page, counsel to the bureau. ex-
amined the applicant who said he wanted store
keepers license. as the wo Rec Company docs
not sell liquor to be drunk on the premises
local license. but had paid the internal revenue
tax: He was informed that. under those cir
of $500 from May /. To all this Wo Kee Fong
readily assented with q cheerful "alee lite"
But he did not pay over the $500 after being
told that IL 1t was discovered that he was not
citizen or that he does not own q half interest
in the Wo Kee Company he would lose not only
besides.
Up to last evening the total number OF ex-
else certificates issued in Brooklyn under the
Raines law was $500 and the receipts 81. OPS.
4s9. Deputy Commissioner Michel expects
and he fixes the total certificates at about
$3.50. Last year the number of licenses were
ass. including those held by the drugRists,
been obliged to abandon the selling Of liquor
By the operation of the Raines law.