New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1897-03-12
LINES LAW AMENDMENTS.
,,xc CHANGES WITH REGARD TO
HOTELS
.s,oxs WHICH. IF ENFORCED. WOULD D
.wAY WITH FAKE" HOTELS AND CLUBS
ort,rp CHANGES PROPOSED.


.wAY WITH FAKE HOTELS AND CLUBS
OTHER CHANGES PROPOSED.
...,v March 1.-THE special committee
,nves,igated the operations OF the Raines
WIN" Tar law will submit its report and pro-
L~' .rendnents to the law to the Senate to-
f'. The bill providing for the amendments
"',,,r,nous The amendments proposed by
,,r,t,ee cover In the main the following
nropositions;
"" ..,e NJ five gallons Of liquor. TO be exempt
,,a tax and to constitute a sale Of Ave gal
a, wholesale. must be Of the same kind and
e s.,,v Of LIQUOR The distribution Of liquor by.
'.,,aen or on behalf of members OF corpora
~ or association in quantities OF less than five
~. Gallons is "traflicking in liquor" This lat
tho amendment which covers clubs. 1t s
~. nrov,ded that a sale Of Ave gallons or more,
~ ,ouor sold is to be delivered In a less guam
g. han five gallons at one time. is a sale Of less
..s, Eve gallons and is taxed.
~ho discretion of the State Commissioner of
rvc,se in requiring bonds from his subordnates
:. .ho,ished Each official Is required to give
ND Specific provisions are made requiring
stain reports from the Commissioner Of Ex-
loo He is also to have power to remove at will
-, subordinate The number Of special agents
!, rronosed 10 be increased to 100. in the discre-
,,or ~ the Commissioner. Special agents are to
80, the powers Of a constable or other peace
oHcer 10 make arrests for violation Of the
Liquor Tax law
No change is made in the amount OF taxes
levied. except regards pharmacists For New
York City the tax on pharmacists is to be 500:
Hrooklyn $50: Buffalo and cities over 5O.oU, S2o'
cities less than 10000 but more than 10000, S2o:
cities and villages having less than lo,ooV nut
more than 5000. So; villages Of less than ooo
but more than I 200 so; other places. 81.
There is a provision which makes it more def
,,na that a tax is levied for each bar at which
lhuor is sold
Penalties are provided for the non-payment by
renuty Excise Commissioners and County Treas
u,ers TO the proper authorities Of the moneys
.,usc,ed bv them within the time required by
law.
Tho local option clause is amended to give more
,.r,sin effect to the result OF the votes cast at
town meetings on the several propositions sub
ri,.sd: as. for instance if the proposition for a
hotel Is carried and the proposition for store
license is defeated the hotelkeeper can only sell
r,uor to he drunk on the premises. The section in
relation to applications for lquor-tax certificates
Il require specific answers 10 the questions which
al piicants required TO answer.
IN Measuring the distance OF place selling
uouor from church. schoolhouse or dwelling. II
&c provided that the mea surements shall be made
on straight line.
II is provided tina. a person who has been or
snail be convicted of felony. or has in his en-
rlov person who has been so convicted snail
not have a liquor-taX certificate.
The prohibition 10 granting certificates 10
places in the vicinity OF asylums and hospitals is
extended to the institute established for the care
and treatment of epieptics.
4 complete system is established for the pay
nent OF rebates on the surrender OF certihcates
In addition 10 the provisions forbiddlng the sale
of LIQUOR 10 minors il is provided that il cannot
le sold or delivered TO them for any other person.
Il is provided that where the traffic is carried on
in an interior barroom, not visible from me
street there shall be glass in the door of entrance
10 such barroOm. so that the interior OF II can be
seen from the hallway.
= hotel is more specifically defined and ii is
required that IT shall comply with the laws. ordi-
nances. regulations and rules relating to hotels
and hoieikeepers. and to the laws and ordinances
Affecting the building fire and health depart
msnis: that a hotel shall contain at least ten
BEDROOMS above the basement. exclusive OF those
occupied by the family and servants each room
properly furnished 10 accommodate dodgers ana
separated by partitions at least four inches thick.
extending from floor TO ceiling. with independent
access to each room by a door opening into
hallway. each room having window or windows
with not less than eight square feet or surface
O,enng on the street or open area and each
having al least 81 square feet of floor area. and
at least 600 cubic feet Of space. The dinng-room
must have at least 300 square feet and he suita-
bly, furnished. \ guest is dehned 10 De person
who in good faith occupies room In hotel as a
temporary home, and pays the regular and Gus
tomary charge for such occupancy. but who does
not OCCUPY such room for the purpose or having
liquor served therein. and person who. In the
hours IA
to the hotel for the purpose Of obtaining. in good
faith. a meal.
\ provision is made for the issuing. upon per-
mi; granted and signed by the Mayor of city
and the Chief Of Police. or by the president or
village and upon the payment Of a specified tax.
Of certificate which will allow the sale Of liquor
between O'Clock and > O'Clock in the morning OF
specified days except Sundays.
Provision is made for civil action for PEN
atty Of so for violations Of the law. Judgment
q recovery carries with it the forfeiture of the
certificate
The report of the committee accompanies the
proposed amendments to the Raines law, and
Is signed by Senators Raines. Ford. Nussbaum
and Higgins Senator Foley. the Democratic
member Of the committee. will present mi
nOriiy report. Senator Ford dissents from the
Recommendation that all social clubs should be
faxed the same as saloons. he says: the
fake club | recognize as a monstrous evil. sec
ond in It's baleful influence on good order. pub
lie morals and the san -tity Of the Sabbath only
n the fake hotel Ii must be abolished along
With its twin evil. but cannot assent TO the
Proposition that. in order to accomplish this
desirable object, il is necessary also to tax out
OF existence thousands Of bona fide social. politi
cal dining. literary and similar clubs. The club
is most important factor in municipal life. pre-
erninently in NewYork. where the terms
neighbor and neighborhood have lost their time
honored significance and find their substitute
IN club life. ! desire. also. to be recorded in
favor Of half-rate tax on restaurants and
family hotels which keep no bar. and in which
liquor is served with meals exclusively. and on
weekdays only"
The majority report estimates that II all the
fake" clubs had paid the liquor tax last year
The revenue from the Raines law would have
heen S24J6.2J0 greater than ii -. and IL all
social clubs. real and ostensible, had been taxed
the Increase would have been S3.O16,2J0.
Inc amendments designed 10 wipe out the
take clubs and the "Raines law hotels were
oDhoxious TO the Republican leaders In New
York and Brooklyn. who said that TO interfere
WIN sunday beer drinking would defeat the
republicans in the Greater New-York Mayor