The Jersey City news., 1906-06-08
Saloon License Fee Last
Night Went Up From
$3.50 to $500 Per Annum
GUSTAV PFINesTEIH RESIGNED
JOHN BUMsTED, THE MAYORS
MESSENGER. APPOINTED TO
HIS PLACE = PFINGSTEINS
REASON FOR GETTING OUT

saloon license fee from $3.50 to $500 and
fixed wholesale dealers license at $3.50
and bottlers' license at 800. Commits
sioner Gustav Pfngstein, who represents
resigned a short time before the meeting
was held, and Mayor Pagan promptly
to fill the vacancy. This gave him the
necessary three votes to carry the meas
ure, Commissioner John O'Brien, who
owns three saloons, alone voting against
it. In his communication resigning from
the Board, Mr.. Pfngstein, who was I'M
alterably opposed to the increase, said
he did not wish to hamper the Mayor.
The communication reads as follows:-
Dear Sir-I have carefully and earn
estly considered the present agitation
which has been pending before the Board
of Excise Commissioners of Jersey City
for the past few weeks. l cannot lead
myself to believe that the course pro-
posed by the administration is for, nor
will produce the expected result. have
lived all my life in a location composed
mainly of quiet, respectable class OF
people. and so far as this particular sec
tion is concerned, do not believe that
any advanced license fee would make the
liquor trade any more respectable.
think the best proof of what | say is
true is that notwithstanding the fact
that the City of New York has advanced
their license fee to $12O0 the saloon trade
today is in just the same position it was
prior to the advance. also believe that
the advancing of the license fee IN Jersey
City to $500 will cause great deal OF
hardship and injustice to a large number
of small, but honest and respectable
men, who cannot obtain other employ
ment and will be without means of sup
port and also the owners of the property
in which these small liquor stores are
now conducted will by reason thereof
become vacant and it will be difficult
to secure tenants for the same, and own
have used every means at my command
to convince the other members of the
Il. ,rff bIc
hardship and the serious results which |
believe are bound to follow the course
as laid out, but / have failed to move
the administration from the stand taken
on this question and not being desirous
of hampering you in the discharge of
your duty as you may see it, | hereby
tender to you my resignation as Excise
Commissioner of Jersey City. Wishing
your administration continued success
remain sincerely yours,
"GUSTAyE PFINGSTEIN."
In announcing the appointment of Mr.
Bumsted in place of Mr.. Pingstein the
Mayor in communication to the Board
said. among other things
81 regret exceedingly that Mr. Ping
stein has felt compelled to retire from
the Board, where he has rendered eff
cient public service, but 1 know that he
has acted according to his best judg-
ment.
3 81 have given the subject matter OF
M Pfingstein's letter, as well as the
Ole saloon question, most careful CON
sideration for many weeks, and have
come to certain conclusions which | sub
NIT for your consideration.
81 think the time has arrived when
public opinion demands that the license
fee be materially increased. | think
that the license fee should be fixed al
$500 a year for saloons; $3.50 for whole
salers and $1OO for bottlers The in
crease of the license fee is in accordance
with the trend of public sentiment with
reference to this matter all over the
country. Jersey City has an average Of
about one saloon to 299 people, which
number is scarcely exceeded anywhere in
the country. It is apparent that there
are altogether too many saloons. The in
creased revenue which will be obtained
from this can be used to meet the gem
eral demands for needed improvements
I can conceive Of no public interest
which will not be subserved by this step
This increase in the license fee viii
have the effect of decreasing the nuSbea
of saloons somewhat.
Il think you should also, in addition
decrease the number of saloons by re
fusing licenses to the so-called blue