The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1896-05-02
A MILLION OF LIQUOR TAX
PAID IN YBsTERDAY 10 TEE NEW
York CITH DEPUTY.

Five millions Expected Tor eee-wepubtt.
ean State Hesdsuarters Gets the First
Certaeate-No Ci-b. Have Paid the Taz
-Purchasing Agent Huntng Broadway.
More than n million dollars for LIQUOR tar
certificates was paid In In this city yesterday.
The headquarters Of the Republican state
Committee-tbe Fifth Avenue Hotel-was tho
nrst place In this city 20 receive a certificate.
The certificate was issued late yesterday after.
noon by Deputy Commissioned Hilliard. while
Mr.. Hitchcock and Mr.. Darling. two OF the
proprietors Of the hotel, were present in his OF.
flee. Joe schmltt had expected the FIRST Ger.
tiicate for his saloon ut Fourteenth street and
Union square, because he was the Hrst TO pay
the $500 tax. He had 70 be CONTEXT with No.
9. Capt. Jim Gray, chief dispenser OF liquid
refreshments ut the Fifth Avenue Hotel bar,
was very proud OF the little blue Autograph
with Mr.. billiards autograph on II.
The collections by Mr.. Hllliard amounted 10
S053,075.01 at 8 o'clock =. NJ, at which time
there was SIN q long line Of applicants with
currency and certified checks ready to make
deposits and receive the temporary receipts
from Cashier Pitkin, which must content the
saloon men until their applications can be In
vestiQateI and the official certificates issued.
The one cent In the receipts is accounted for by
the fact that one applicant wanted q certificate
for only eleven months, beginning June l, and
paid in advance for II,
The fact that nearly all the dealers whose
licenses. expired on April 30-'brewers'
agents." as they are called. as we'll as others
walked up to the cashiers Office and planked
down their $500 apiece, Is taken as an indica-
Zion that the reduction in the number Of sa-
icons which vas exp ected to result from the In
crease OF the fee will not be go great as was
expected by Gov. Morton and some other adj
vocates of the new law. A representative OF
one OF the big breweries who was in Mr.. Hi
lierd's Office yesterday explained this. He said:
THE breweries are going to stay behind
mcst %; their men for one year at least. to see
what can lie done. OF all The men who sold
my beer l lose but one. He had an ale and
beer license for $50 and could not pay $500.
AL Of the little ale and beer fellows will go,
but there will be fully 1000 saloons left be-
sides the regular hotels; The receipts OF this
0ia spsc M,il b Ss neST Hili ieiSV said Hpq he +, confident
that folly $4,000, 900 II liquor tax Will be col.
tionate part of the annual tax o. $500 Is to be
collect ed. With total collections Of $4,000
900, the city's revenue from excise moneys
would 10 fully Sl,oOo.ooo greater than ever
MIR. billiard was very we'll pleased with the
prospect. So far as collections are concerned.
What bothered him most was, the ,inadequacy
SPECIAL agents to do this work. and they are
almost swGmped with business; The old
thinks he ought to have at least one for every
Assembly district. He said yesterday that he
understood that all the inspectors. clerks. and
old Excise board would have their names put
back on the lists at Albany. and that they
II this is the case there is still hope Tor the Re
not asked for before May 1.
Among all the applications for tax certif-
q club. although 1t was tho intent OF the
trainers Of the law that clubs should pay a
that the recent decision OF. the Court of APP
peals in the case OF the Adelpht Club OF Al:
t GSny , fSvep p5e te ese Ga5e f G1 an rs eSfrri tax st9p ps , heg
do not traffic in liquors.
A member, Of the Downtown Club called on
be brought. MT. Hilliard;said that he had trou-
do without going ont Of his way 70 make test
cases for clubs. He said that If the elqbmsn
police or the District Attorney. whose duty it is
TO enforce Lhe law.
The brewers who are advancing $500 Jumps
of money TO pay the tax for such OF their Gus
TONERS as cannot pay are very ANXIOUS to have
with them so that they may be secured from
loss, Tho brewers are secured by mortgage (,
case. hut. as their money Is invested In those,
there is no security for the $500 advanced to
the tax is:taken out NAV surrender his c~oriill-
cate and secure n rebate OF the tax at any
cure an assignment of any rebate which may
be made. and file that with a power of attorney
for its collection with the special deputy.
r. Page. have consulted with. Acting Chief of
Police Cortright about the enforcement OF the
law against dealers who fail to get official GER
tihcates to file after their licenses expire. The
acting CHIEF agreed that 1t would be unfair to
punish the dealer for the fault OF the Excise
Department. and the police will be instructed
not to interfere with persons. who have paid
the tax and exhibit a receipt therefor.
rhe retired Excise Commissioners assembled
At the old offices in Centre street YESTERDAY.
Alfred X. Page, counsel 10 Special Deputy
Hiliiard. and turned over to him all The books.
Quired by law. Mr.. Page had brought a truck.
but there were several truck loads Of records
dating back for many Years. The old Com
They would be liable TO fine. thew said. II they
did not obey the law and tnrn ON er everything.
Mr.. billiard will have 10 hire n room in the
basement Of Madison avenue TO store this luin-
Der.
An express messenger who is not quite up
70 date del. vered an express package addressed
70 the Excise Department TO the new Grim
inal Courts building yesterday. One Of the ex-
employees picked it up. and saving There
Is no Excise Department. tossed II out of a
window down four stories into Elm street.
Excise Commissioner Lyman for Special Dep.
uty Huliard; They were recovered and taken
70 their destination.
One OF the clerks Of the old Excise Board
had a good laugh yesterday at the expense OF
an employee OF CD. Lyman's department. He
was passing. the corner OF Centre and Frank
lin streets when he say a man Easipg:helplessl
He recognized him as Mr.. Norton of OsweRo.
purchasing agent of the new Excise Depart
ment. who. was sent down to New York to buy
supplies for Mr.. Hillard, who was born here
and has lived In the city all his life. " en-
Norton recognized this gentleman as one he
had met. before he ran up to him and beseech-
"s.Iy here's BroadwayY"