The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1897-07-09
rHE RAIrEs 1rcuoE LAW.
ME-. suilus Irarsurrsr.. view.

To THE EDITOR OF THE SUN-Sir: Tho com.
munication which you published on THURSDAY
from Senator Raincs, wherein no disputes the
accuracy OF some statements mnde by me. and
Of somo resolutions adopted at tho public mas,
meeting In Cooper Union by the political orEani.
cation OF which I am n mombcr on May %, re-
quircs an answer. and / nm relieved In making
1t OF an embarrassment under which Senator
Raines says no suffered. Ho was apprehensiyo
that, perhaps, he would mako. rs he says, "a
holy show" Of mo. will certainly not attempt
to mako "a holy show OF him, for his letter
makes such effort unnecessary.
During tho year 1895 tho last year under the
former excise law) tho total receipts from OK.
else licenses In New York city, collected by the
Excise Board. of which l was a member, m
appears in tho communication made to tho
Mayor on Jan. 90, 1906. wore 81. 700, $50. Tho
expenses Of collecting this amount WHOLLY dis
burscd in the city Of Now York; were $3.50, 900.
leaving net TO tho city from the proceeds Of
oHcise $1,8oo.0 900. That was undor the old law.
Not ono dollar OF It went cup tho State"
Under the present exciso law, which bears the
name and (outside OF New York clty) adds to tho
fame of Senator Raines, nearly 81, 900, 900 thls
figures are S1.772, 545.S2) are collected from
citizens Of Now York city, from persons doing
business hore, and from q local traffic. and are
sent "up the State" and aid in paying the tAre,
Of other counties. This is what our resolutions
dcnominated an unjust tax, discriminating
against this city and in favor of the rural coun.
tics." It is quite true. as the Senator says,
that one-third OF all tho OK cise taken
collected in other counties of the State 70
into the State Treasury; and II there was n uni.
form rate OF Licenses everywhere, the city OF
New. York would have no just cause for discr!m-
ono q ite "unWise, unnecessary, ana opnrcs.
sive' features, In our opinion. does not estab-
m Ilsh q nnisSrP b. li tBs u M ssvssTFy yt.s Gos sSeh as i
in the collection of internal revenue taxes
and upon the manufacture of spirituols
sity, $3.50, for ,Brookfyn. $500 for BnfSi5os.
Mr.. Raines, when not in New York on a perl.
s eaIsai y viii during paT s ths s e tbo n of the ,desi is;.
cxcess Of /, 2Oo;.if It is less than i, 200. the rate
is 800 only. By.th Federal census OF 1890.
S.ses.' Section II of subdivision / Of the Raines
law fixes as the rate of tax for liquor selling in
i iStion the the Srlraf 81 & Sso R'ofe Th ber1 arc SiSoU I fSR RPpo
been to tho pains TO ascertain: twenty-six
M nGd0F s selefn' T fa ont ew ssnfss of l Sisnans salson:;
pay in n year as excise taxes $500. of which
$5, goss to local purposes and $2, 600 is paid 10
S Sc s' York trf pay $500 aw apiscs fr r' tSe ss saiSG priv T.
lege which can be Obtained in Csnandaigua for
law 10 not 81. 200. but $50, 800!
aa iFS% the ss seasio gets h $1,000: s'i fsen t " Gsasn;
liquor e sa ass IN the city of New York the State
s ssrS. s opgfessl1 y t ana SSj nst t to esa sity p of : SsS
York. whatever itmay be to tho village Of Canaan:
daigua, I have no knowledge Of the meaning Of
On May 1e. one week before the Cooper Union
nesting of the Independence Hall Democracy. to
the general tax rate bill passed by the LesisIa.
ture OF which Senator Ralnes 10 a conspicuous
the estimates made By. Comptroiier Roberts t and nd
these estimates CONTAINED the following item:
tor Raines, l will quote his figures. as follows:
State revenue from licenses. .............. %, $50. COO
New York city contributes, Raines Says. l.77e.o4b
The other SO counties contribute ...... ~ .4oS
All the officials except one. our city Comptrol-
cans-GoS. Black. Comptroller Roberts. and
Senator Raines.,and these figures are all Of them
Raines draws from his own figures are misIead.
i fofn. l am sno,s under Ter no o, Obligation tIis to defend the
should have been: It did NOT Of, go se as : far. IL
s sse1siso of frI pers sgpie'fii ibert intes as ,hi the
i should, 1t Vas not Designed for q cosmopoi
iitan city like New York. and in some partieu-
RI %posins s sas Of I 500 900 for oeo d SiSi9S What ss' is Re St
one-thIird Of the ,proeceedsoone.third lon Of $500 soso'f il
Canandnigua and one-third OF $500 in New York
ment, which have heretofore been imposed
uniformly on the people of all the sixty
try 70 be more temperate in my answer to Sem
ator Raines than he was in his declaration about
me. as printed in TEE Sun, and l will add, there-
fore, that I do not blame the Senator for defend.
ing a law which is manifestly to the advantage
of the small towns and villages of the interior,
a rustic one. It relieves them Of what
are sometimes called their just share Of
In New York city. I cannot help regarding
the tax rate imposed by Mr.. Raines and his as.
~sociates as discriminating against this city
and in favor Of tho rural counties" Just as the
Independence Hall resolution OF May 25. at the
Cooper Union. which he criticises. declared.
JULIUS HARBURaKA
NEW YORK. July i, 1897.