The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1897-11-12
EXCISE IN AIB1N1
Proposed Changes which Arc Not Likely 70
ne Adopted.

dimlnlsneu mhJority, mas led many to tho opln.
ion that an effort would be made noxt year to
amend the present Excise law in some particu.
lars, though 1t has brought about a reduction
OF tho number OF licensed saloons In tho State. |
while increasing enormously the public revenue
from retail liquor selling. To be specific, tho
number Of saloons selling liquor at rotnil has
been reduced by IS per cent, or from 40. 600 to
$4,000 Before the present law, the states rev.
enuo from excise licenses was almost innnitcsi.
NAL, coming only from steamboat licenses, n few
hundred dollars collected from vessels plying
on what are known as tho waters OF the Stato.'
or rather such of them as are called "thc wntors
OF tho State" meaning those waters which arc
not included within any one county.
The policy of raising internal revenue by OK.
ciso taxes levied as q general and uniform pub.
lie burden, and not on account OF any additional
expense incurred or made chargcable by inc.
briefly, has its origin in the Federal system Of tax.
alton, under which about one.halt OF tho public
revenues, approximately, nrc collected In tho
form Of internal revenue taxes divided between
tho various States. Last year the total. internal
revenue collections for the United States Treas.
ury amounted to $l48,000, 600, and Of this sum
about one.halt was contributed by the three
States OF Illinois. New York, and Kentucky.
Tho other forty.two States contributed as
much collectively as these three, and with
out this largo public revenue. definite, GER
tain. not subject to mercantile fiuotuation. and
easily collected, the Treasury, bereft Of internal
revenue collections. could rocoup this loss of In
come only by n radical reduction of expenses
or by additional customs charge.
The United States Government gets about
$50. 00O, 900 annually from taxes on distilled
spirits and about $35, 00O, 900 additional from
the tax on boer. ale. and porter, and from tho
brewers manufacturing these beverages. Tho
p.n ~ ; "a linz ,nNarrn A-Ap,,> N11lArttN
first imposed rs n war measure in times Of
foreign or domestic military and naval strife.
has led to the application OF the same principle
Of collection In the States. Although New York
Is not the pioneer in this movement, 1t having
followed Ohio. Massachusetts, and Pennsylva-
mia, the States share Of tho revenues from the
Raircs law will amount this year to about
$4,000 900. or about one-third OF the total run
ming expenses Of $12. 100000. Tho total liquor
tax collections amounted to $4,000 ,1S1,
according to the last report Of Commissioner
Lyman, the States share being one-third. I'm
der the former Excise law, and with 10000
saloons Of various grades and classes "open for
business" the total collections from the saloons
Of the State were SO, 900 900, and the expenses
of collection were about one-tenth of that sum-.
The State got only such paltry part of 1t as came
from steamboat licenses. and the cities and
counties received collectively 81. 100000. I'm
dor tho presopt lav tho c;tina and coupfiaa ava
benefited to tho extent of $s,O 900. 900. instead Of
So, 700. 900, and the State Treasury, instead Of
q, ooo 600 A. , ro.rI, =, th,, a. ..svn'
tion NJ t.1es ,ev,ed THROUGHOUT tho STATE
4. ,ors;dor,hIo ,na thoro 10 a ,orro fr,d ,or
local nurnoses which did not nreviouslv exist
II 10 h ardIv 70 he s,nnoso5 ,raor tho.. c;r.
cumstances, with a Governor in Office who is q
cordial and corr.noora advocate ~ tho R,ir.o
law svstem ana WITH a bo,d.over state SENATE
orerwbelminglv Renpb,icon, which nv a vote of
Al IN 10 m March ~ 1900 nassed the law that
anv radical cb,npe In r. will, he made or can bo
made. after January the noxt Assembly be;pu
Renuhlican nv n safe though dim,n;sbcd ma.
iority. ITndonbtedlv however efforts for some
| change will he madc. Their nnrnose will mot he
to reduce the amount Of tax or alter the method
| NJ navmcnt. They oro likely IN he only In tho al.
| rcction of modi6cations as apnl;cable In Tho
largo cities. In New York. Brooklyn. Buffalo
Syracuse. ALBANY. B~inrhamtop. Trov. and
Rochester. and more especially in tho cities
where the German vote ia largest. particularlv
Buffalo and Brooklyn, 1t was found that the loss
to Republican candidates by reason NJ the Ger.
man detection was large enough to enter into
| political calculations for next year. when n Gov.
crnor is to be voted for and members of both
branches of the State Legislature are To bs
| chosen along with State officers.
1t is n fact of common observation in all the
largo cities of New York that those saloons
which have what is sometimes called a "hotel
attachment" or which are otherwise known as
Raines hotels, have prospcred exceedingly under
the operation of the new law. ENJOYING
practically the light of Sunday selling to all
patrons and "all-night" selling without him
drancc or restriction. For these places. numer-
Gus enough in all the largo cities. the present
LIQUOR law has proved a yeritablew indfail. The
proprietors, by payment of $500. 5000. or $500.
as the case NAV be. obtain great and
| special advantages. It was supposed that these
dealers, hotel keepers, and pubucaps. ENJOYING
without the least molestation and without
danger of blnckmail. opportunities which couId
not be secured under the former law would -
not wholly favorable to the marty resnonsihIe
for tho present liouor Law. at least remoin
na,t,., T.. ao.t.. $50 oHo
neutral IN contests as important as the one
waged in the Greater New York and the big