New-York tribune., 1906-05-02
HOTELkEEPERS WORRY
NEW Law BOTHERS THEM,
Police Close SeUerd Places States
Business, Says DeEanq.


.heir rights 60 have their saloons and CAFES
o,sn This was caused by the new Prentice
law. and not only were the hOteIkeepers guess
,,p but the State Excise Department, the bu-
vaaus OF buildings Of the various boroughs, the
co-noration Counsel and the Attorney General
- the state became involved in the question.
me trouble was caused by failure to inter-
rret the provisions OF the Prentice law regard
t,1 he word hotels" Tho law provides In ef-
80, that before the State Excise Department
cen grant a hotel license 20 anybody the appli-
r.f,on must be approved by the Building Bu-
-.o,, which has thirty days 20 consider the ap-
pHcstion and report.
When the Prentice law went into effect on
Anil 10 hotel proprietors were told that If they
elaa their bonds and their checks for S4o2o0
fbe stipulated amount, they would receive per-
Mir. but that they could not get certificates
,Dta the building bureaus had passed on the
hotels.
e.nt out twenty plain clothes men last night TO
a,a ont II snv hotels and saloons were selnns
1ruor without a license under the conditions OF the
prentice law Among the places found Vlolafins
sbe law were the Gregorian Hotel. Gibsons HOTEL
the Republican Club and the Hotel Vendome.
Joseph Jones, a bartender at the cafe In the HoOeI
veaiore was arrested and held in the Tenderloin
station on q charge OF selling liquor without a
license Nearly a score OF places in the Tenderloin
were closed last night by the police for not COM
plying with the law
Albert 0. Briggs. counsel for the Deputy Bx-
else Commissioner said
There Is no reason why any hotel proprietor
who has exercised the slightest forethoughf
should 60 out Of business until the Building De-
partrent has passed upon and condemned DIS
hotel for not being bona fde. Under the regu-
lar excise law there is a provision whereby any
hotel proprietor could come TO the Excise De-
naTtment and pay in his money for a new
and he
money and a temporary certificate emitting MIN
70 sell liquor until a permanent certlncate was
either refused granted. Acting under TINS
nriviege about seven hundred Of the thirteen
hundred hotels IN the city have obtained tenn
porsry licenses in Manhattan ana Tne Bronx;
81 that they are perfectly safe from trouble OF
snv kind until the bureau has passed on their
publications In the case Of the others, now
ever who Forgot or hedged on their payment 1
So,5; s,7s zine that they will be harshly dealt
with. Considerable leniency Will undoubtedly Dc
shown them until the various departments can
Pei together and tx them up for doing business
~ settle il positively that they cannot do busi-
ness under the new Prentice law
F6wsrd HeaIy, Deputy Excise Commissioners.
cd not place the number Of hotels open without
temporary licenses as high as did his counsel.
He said that about eight hundred applications
for hotel licenses had been received and Of these
go were made fifteen days prior to May l. and
The license fee paid and required bond filed.
This left about one hundred and eighty appli-
during the fifteen day interval
Following the passage and adoption OF the
Prentice law, Corporation Counsel Delany was
asked his opinion He did not make any reply
lr-iI late yesterday. when he said that II was
really a state matter and that the Attorney
General should give an opinion. Edward s.
Murphy, Superintendent OF Buildings, sent let
te- 70 Attorney General Mayer yesterday. ask
Ing for an Interpretation Of the new law.
NJ Murphy said yesterday:
There has been so much uncertainty regard
ing the proper Interpretation of the law and the
power Of the Bureau Of Buildings that have
held back the reports TO the Deputy Excise COM
missioner which under the law am required TO
make IN the case OF all applications Tor hoteI
certificates. Until the Attorney General is heard
from these cases viii not be reported on
Judging from the talk at the State Excise De-
parunent there are probably many large hotels
which have not yet received their certificates.
Ordinary Raines law hotels, II is said. have taken
out saloon certificates If there has been any de-
lay in getting their hotel certificates. The bona
hde hotels. however. are said TO be running their
baFs in many cases simply on the strength Of
receipts which they hold for the money for new
certificates. There have been some threats from
Ire police that they would not recognize such
certificates but the belief is general that even II
arrests should be made the magistrates would at
once dismiss such cases. II being obvious that
lie parties affected were not TO blame. the
trouble being due 10 the uncertainties Of the
statute
The Everett House management was in proc
ess Of Incorporation just before April Is, 1t is
said. and had no proper official TO make applca-
ton After considerable trouble a special re-
port was made this hotel, and a temporary
certificate was issued late on Monday night.
The Gisey House found itself in d similar pre-
oicauent, but arranged matters al late hour.
The number OF hotels IN the city, 1t Is eX-
pecteo, viii be decreased from about 1900 TO
about 500 by the law. but many Of those
which Go not get hotel certificates viii operate
as saloons. This viii force them to close De-
tween l 4. n. aI.e a n. and all day on Sunday
The pool which was recently formed by tne
surety companies to bond the hotels mas heIo
together Up 70 the present time. II IS said An
Increased rate Of $40 for every bond for hrst
class certihcates-eXc for absolutely hrst
class hotels which are S2O-has been strictly
maintained. There is said 10 be some dissatis-
faction. however over some Of the places bond
"a When the pool was formed il was announced
maj only thoroughly reputable places would De
bonde1. but any company was TO be permitted
70. bond any place which the agent Of the pool
hed refused 10 accept. II was SAID tnaI one
company mad bonded the majority Of the sa-
looms az COney Island, at prices ranging from
sec 20 5000
At Richmond various hotels in Tottenvle,
AeE Brighton and Edgewater had been allowed
10 take out licenses without strictly complying
Ntth The excise law governing hotels IN the CITY
proper. This made the borough officials hesl-
tate about certifying 10 the condition OF build
lngs- John Seaton. Superintendent OF Buildings
% Richmond N answer 10 letter 10 me Coi-
2'oraIion Counsel, received an answer which, IN
PAN. WAS as follows;
have made inquiries with the object OF as
csFT2ining what the views OF the Attorney Cen
sTal on the subject. and fnd that while ne
slas given no opinion, II. A. Soule, Second Dep
stv Excise Commissioner. IN a letter TO George
l. NichoI Special Deputy at TOnpkinsvlIie, on
April u last stated that the department has
been OF the opinion that in the absence Of spe-
1ssafa FYfU