New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1912-08-08
FARLEY BEGINS REFORM
State Excise Commissioner
Finds Warning Unheeded.
COMES HERE FROM ALBANY
Will Stay, He Says, Until Liquor
Selling Places Cease VIC
lating Law.

W. W. Farley. State Excise Commits
sioner. arrived here from Albany last
night for . great housekeeping crusade
among the saloons and liquor selling res
taurants OF this city. Although he does
not expect TO leave this city reformed
lilly white" in the compliance OF liquor
sellers with the excise law, Commissioner
Farley appeared confident that his work
would bring about a distinct change of
conditions toward n stricter Observance
OF the law.
A fair warning had been given 70 all
the places concerned last Friday, Mr.
Farley said, but from the incomplete re-
ports Of the thirty-four agents he left
here TO investigate it was evident tina;
fully 10 per cent of saloons and restau-
rants licensed to sell liquors had paid no
heed TO il.
one place in particular. the Commits
sioner said, had continued to violate the
law Having no night license, this place
closed its doors at / o'clock in tho morn
ing, but 1t opened up again shortly after
2 o'clock when the owner thought that
the excise agents had ceased TO observe
the premises After a conference with
counsel for the Excise Department, Com
missioner Farley said he had decided TO
proceed against the place Immediately
and have its license revoked.
Regarding the report that a certain res.
taurant in 42d street which sold liquor.
after O'Clock Sunday morning had put a
Waterman at its door in order to keep out
agents OF the Excise Department. Mr..
Farley said that any place which tried
such means TO make the work OF his de
partment harder would find that he was
prepared to deal with II I'm as strict =
manner as the law would permit him.
Commissioner Farley explained that
there was no special reason for the con-
centration of his efforts upon New York
city at the present time. but that the
metropolis had simply been taken up
because il was tho first chance he got
at 1t. Conditions In Albany and Buffalo
had been much worse than they were IN
this city. Mr.. Farley said, and for that
reason ho had started 90 clean up first
tho liquor selling places IN those two
cities
There were only sixty men at the dis
the whole state, the Commissioner de-
Clared. and number OF these men wero
either not available for Investigating
work because OF lack Of qualification
for it, or because they had 10 attend 10
the large amount OF routine work which
had 20 be handled by the department.
The plan ~ procedure in New York
would be similar TO that which had been
followed at Albany and Buffalo. Com
missioner Farley added There he had
consulted with civic organizations inter-
ested in the matter and had received
active support. and he had already ar
ranged for similar conferences here.
First in the order in which he expected
10 clean up the places which violated tho
excise law in this city were the disor-
deriy back rooms Of saloons, where UNI
escorted women were permitted 70 sit
around by the hour Then would come
The disorderly hotels, and. finally. tho res
taurants which sold drinks after hourr.
Mr. Farley appeared 10 DO determined
10 remain here until lie had brought the
situation under his full control. so that
aftervard n would he only matter OF
conoparatively easy routine work for the
agents of the Excise Department 70 see
"a 81 that the observation Of the excise
law was continued.