fee for winch is $200; the license to sell liquors, ales, beer and wine, the license fee being $200; the license to sell ale and beer only, the license fee being thirty dollars; license to sell ale, beer and wine only, the license fee fifty dollars; restaurant licenses, $100; steamboat licenses, which are known as Class 4, in which there are three grades—"A," "B," "C" and "D," the fees of which are respectively $250, $150, $100 and fifty dollars. Now, for the information of the committee, I will read the statistical statement, which is very short, and which accompanies this report, or summarizes it. [Mr. Ivins read statement referred to.] Senator Fassett.— Is there anything there about temporary licenses for picnics, festivals, excursions, etc.? Mr. Ivins.— No. That we will come to later. Q. Now, Mr. Gale, we will take the case of any one license, but by preference the license to sell liquors, ale, wine and beer, because that constitutes more than one-half of all the licenses granted, and give the committee now the history, in its chronological order, of the license from the time of the application to the time that the license is granted, and after the granting of the license, in case there be a revocation, until the time of the revocation, and if there be a revocation,' and thereafter a new license granted to a different party for the same place, then the history of the new license? A. I think, to do that, I will have to take an application, to refresh my memory. Q. Take anything that you please that will help you? A. Another point, the forms of blanks used are different, in regard to a new place or renewal; do I understand you to ask for the form of the ordinary renewal of license? Q. Take the form in the first application, for a new application. A. For a new place? Q. For a new place; the application for anew place? A. The applicant appears at the board with two bondsmen; he goes to the application room; the name of the applicant and his two bondsmen are written on a slip of paper handed him by an inspector detailed there; then it is passed to one of the application clerks, of which there are three, and the questions which are found on the rear page of the application, of that blank, are asked by the application clerk and answered by the applicant; when those are filled out, the names of the two bondsmen are taken, and in connection with the licensee they are sworn together; then the first bondsman is asked as to the property he owns and giving the place where that property is situated; that statement is also signed by the bondsman, and the second bondsman is asked the same questions, and they are signed and sworn together; then the paper is properly filled out and the papers of each day's work are kept together; at 4 o'clock, the hour the department closes, they are placed in the hands of the secretary or in the secretary's room; the next day the papers are examined—or, first, they are numbered, beginning on May first of each year; they are numbered, each application is numbered consecutively from one; they are then entered in a corresponding book, called the record book, which is also numbered consecutively from one; they are then stamped officially by the secretary's stamp as received by the board on that day; then they are examined by a special inspector detailed for that work, as to the applicant, as to any charges which have been made against him. By Senator Fassett: Q. Who is examined? A. The name of the applicant for license; it is examined first, as to any,reports which may have been sent by the board of police. By Mr. Ivins: By Senator Fassett: Q. How is that examination carried on? A. By the books which we have here which contain, first, clippings from all the newspapers which contain matter relating to any licensed place; second, to any reports which we get from the board of police relating to the disreputable character of the place or applicant. Mr. Ivins.—This seems — I will say to the committee — the most systematic way of making the newspapers a public servant I have ever seen; I think the witness will show that it is done by the newspapers, and not by the inspectors of the department; there are the books. The Witness.— We have four or five of these books, and they are kept since May, 1886, and contain clippings of every reference to a licensed place in the city. There are four of these books nearly filled up. Q. Any reference of any kind? A. Yes, sir. Q. Figuring in an assault and battery case, or drunk, or anything of that kind? A. The instructions are to clip everything relating to a licensed place. Q. There is a special inspector appointed for that purpose? A. A special inspector detailed for the purpose. Q. What should happen in case the special inspector took an interest in regard to a particular place, and did not cut out clippings in regard to it? A. Well, it would not appear on the record. Q. Then the record would be incomplete to that extent? A. The record would be incomplete to that extent. Q. Then the department would have to fall back upon its own inspectors without newspaper aid 1 A. Yes, sir. Q. Now go on? A. After the inspector has put his check on the paper, which would appear in this case as "D," stating that the name of the party is clear, the place is examined, on our record book, which contains a record of each licensed place in the city, showing any complaints which may have been made during the time the place has been licensed, since May 1, 1886. i By Senator Fassett: Q. Do you confine your examination to the records of the department? A. No, sir. Q. Or do you send the inspector to the territory 1 A. We will get to that; this is all preliminary to that. Mr. Ivins.— There is a system of bookkeeping there, based on these reports and inspections, whereby there is a sort of a judgment day book for each place in the city, and that can be explained to you by this witness also. A. First, there is an alphabetical list of the licensees, and, second, a precinct list of every place in the city — which are these two books. By Mr. Ivins: Q. Let me interrupt you there; the geographical division of the city for the purposes of the excise board, is identical with that of the police board; in other words, by precincts? A. Yes, sir; with the exception of the third, which is the city hall and the Broadway squad, and the twenty-fourth, the steamboats. Q. Wherever there is a geographical precinct in the police board, that is also a precinct for excise purposes? A. Yes, sir; after the examination is made as to place and name, and assuming that no trouble is found at all, the application is again checked; from there it goes to the precinct books, of which we have one for each police precinct in the city; this book shows a complete list of the licensees who have been licensed at a place for three years; it was found impracticable to keep them larger than that, to keep the records for more than three years, and this is one of the books —■ of the Fourteenth precinct; in that case an application number is entered under [Senate, No. 80.] 123 the corresponding place in the precinct book, there being, in this case that we are assuming, a new place, it would be entered as a new place in that precinct book; there being nothing there to show the number, it would simply show the application had been made for that place in case a protest came in afterwards. By Senator Fassett: Q. This precinct book shows the street numberjof the place; second the name of the applicant? A. The licensee. Q. He is the applicant? A. Not in every case. Q. Well, the name of the licensee? A. The name of the licensee. Q. Then the number of the license, then the class of the license? A. The grade of the license and the date of the expiration. Q. Then the number of the application, then- the blank place for remarks? A. Yes, sir. By Mr. Ivins: Q. Now, just state the class of remarks put in the blank place; in looking through this book I fail to find any remarks? A. I find here— shall I name the place f Q. Just name the place? A. Two hundred and twenty-five East Fourth street between Avenues "A" and " B," licensed to William Weber, expiring May 4,1890; remarks: "Canceled March 14, 1890, Class 6 only to be taken out; see above"—which refers me to just above where I find William Weber has a Class 6 license in that place and not being able to hold two licenses,#one of them had to be surrendered and canceled. Q. When the department gets to this point, then the papers are ready to be handed to the inspector for his personal examination? A. Then it goes to the chief inspector, or, first, before that, it goes to another special inspector. x Q. Who has a complete record, a record book of every licensee of the city since May 1, 1886, showing where he has been licensed, where he has been transferred, whether he has had a license revoked or what charges have been made against him, what applications he has put in for other places? A. That is also checked and receives another check which identifies it; then it goes to the chief inspector and is entered in his registry, which is an alphabetical list of applicants; that shows the name, the place, the precinct, the class of license, when given to the inspector and when returned by the inspector; the inspector's report is then handed by an inspector detailed for that purpose, who writes in the name of the applicant, the place and the class; it is then turned over to the inspector for that precinct and he is supposed to make a report in forty-eight hours, and his report is filled in as the printed reports require — the blanks are filled in. Q. Now let me have that printed report. [Witness produces paper.] Mr. Ivins.— I will read one of these to the committee. It is the inspector's report and is the printed form and filled in here and there. [Mr. Ivins here read the report referred to.] Q. Where does that diagram .appear? A. On the back of the report. Mr. Ivins.— That diagram shows the places, for instance, in that case there was an adjoining place, one within a few feet of it on the same side of the street, one immediately opposite, one on the opposite corner, one on the corner of the next street. Q. That is the form in which all of these inspections come in? A. That is the form in which all of these inspections come in in all places. Q. Now, do I understand, Mr. Gale, that before the inspector goes out to make his inspection, and consequently before his return and the filing in of this, he has in the department a set or system of books which actually do or presume to give the antecedents and history of every place that has heretofore had a license? A. Yes, sir. Q. And that is finally summarized in this series of books which you call what? A. That is the precinct book; but there is no summarization; there is so much information it is impossible to get it in one set of books. Q. Now, let us see what the set of books is; first is your scrap book, which is the newspaper part of it? A. Yes, sir. Q. Second is the precinct book? A. The record book, I would say; here is the record book of places. Q. The record book is first after the scrap book? A. After the scrap book. Q. What are those other books? A. Eecord of names, simply. Q. Then comes the precinct book? A. Then comes a list of all licensees, whether good, bad or indifferent. Q. A general list? A. That is a complete list Q. But it is simply a list of the licensees? A. But it is simply a list of the licensees. Q. And that is kept by entering the name of the licensees? A. As fast as they are issued; alphabetically, and by a vowel list. Q. And there is one book here for each letter of the alphabet in that series? A. Very well. Q. Then comes your precinct books? A. Then comes our precinct books. Q. And each precinct has its own book? A. Yes, sir. |