New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1912-08-04
MUST OBEY EXCISE LAW
Farley Says Cabarets Must
Close at | or Get Licenses.
20 MEN GET EVIDENCE
Excise Commissioner Gives
Warning to Resorts-30
Have Lost Licenses.

| William W. Farley. State Excise Com
missioner, returned 70 Albany yesterday.
promising that he would be back early
next week 10 resume person al direction
OF his departments campaign against vio-
lators of the excise law. After he had
departed proprietors OF the numerous
cabaret shows along Broadway and its
tributary streets heaved signs OF relief.
Twenty employees OF the Excise Depart
ment have been engaged since last Tuesday
! In collecting evidence against disorderly
hotels. AS a result OF their activity,
about a score OF warrants will be served
tomorrow on keepers of some OF the
more notorious resorts. on Friday night
and early Yesterday morning the Com
missioner and some OF his men made an
automobile tour of the night life district.
visiting several OF the cabaret shows and
warning the proprietors that hereafter
such places must obey tho law. Brook
lyn will receive a visit from the Com
missioner's men later. he said.
Only those restaurants which have ALL
night licenses will be permitted to re-
main open after 1 o'clock. At present
there are only four OF these twenty
four hour places, nam ,ly. Maxim's. Muir
rays. the Garden and Faust's. other
such places may secure all-night licenses.
providing the Mayor approves.
In talking about excise conditions In
this state Commissioner Farley said that
when he assumed office there were about
5000 places in the state licensed 10 sell
liquor. and probably l5,eO more that sold
liquor without license. About 10000 OF
the latter were In this city. but at pres
ent their number has been reduced 10
not more than 700. The Commissioner,
referring TO the apparently great number
, OF Illegal resorts In this city. said:
I'm spite of these figures. my experience
has taught me that excise conditions in
New York City are very fair-at least.
not fagrantly bah-but the growing popu-
larity OF the cabaret show threatened To
bring about state OF affairs that I
believe should not exist"
The Commissioner said his department
was not in the throes of a wave OF Puri-
| tanism, or anything of the kind at pres
ent. but that IL seemed TO him 10 be his
plain duty TO enforce tho excise law
against evil resorts which are openly
recognized as institutions In community
through his failure to close them down.
commissioner Farley said he encoun-
tered numerous violations on the trip
about town on Friday night. but he would
not proceed against the licensees this
time. He said he had warned them all
that In the future they would not he able
10 avoid the Law through the graduated
bottle or any other device and that they
had promised to obey his edict II any
OF them should break the law during the
remainder of his term Of office. said Mr..
Farley. the evidence he got on Friday
night would be used against him lie
said tho larger places were going 10 lead
the way in obeying the law. giving tho
smaller places no opportunity TO COM
plain on the ground OF discrimination
More than S3oGU has been collected
in this city since October I last by his
department in bond actions against the
surcties OF excise violators, and $4,000
worth Of contraband liquor has been de-
stroyed, according TO the Commissioner.
lie produced a list OF about thirty re-
sorts which he has caused TO lose their
licenses in this citv through their failure
TO obey the excise law, end action h.
pending against eight other places other
suits will be brought on evidence secured
last week