Claiborne guardian. [volume] (Homer, La.) 1877-188?, 1877-10-10
A New Way TO Collect Taxes.

cial implement ~ coflecf,ng state
revenue. Perhaps nome Of the read.
ers of the GUARDIAN may not know
either the nature Of the contrivaIHe
or the object for which it was de.
yised.
1t is n little instrument which all
the groceries and drinking houses
in Virginia are compelled by law
of that State TO I've provided with.
1t is u little box with crank
attached to it, and every time
drink is taken at the bar or in the
house the barseeper is required to
turn the crank. Ii dozen drinks
are taken ut the same time or any
other number it must be turned
once for each drink taken. Every
time the crank turns a bell rings
in the box TO apprise the bystanders
that the law has been complied
with. In addition to ringing the
bell the crank in its revolution
registers 10y means of punch, the
number Of times the crank has
rcvoly cd.
Now comes in the interesting
part; at the end of each week the
gentleman who has charge Of col.
Letting the State revenue goes ronrrl
counts the number of drinks regis.
tered, and collects from the pro.
prietor of the saloon two cents and
u half for each drink. 4-
During seventeen days of the
month of September, in the city of
Riciiuond, the registers at the
various drinking establishments in.
Dictated one hundred and twenty
seven thousand as the number of
alcoholic drinks taken, and one hun.
drcd and thirty.hvc thousand one
hundred and fifty as the number of
drinks of malt liquor sold during
the same period.
! The revenue tethe State from the
alcoholic drinks alone in Rich.
mend during these seventeen days
amounted to three thousand one
hundred and seventy five dollars.
We are not informed as to the rate
OF tax levied on drinks of malt
liquor, but presume it would be half
as much as tor the stronger potation.
Now. az seventeen will 20 into
three hundred aud sixty five twenty.
one times and a fraction over, by
multiplying three thousand one hun
drcd and seventy five dollars by
twenty-onc We have as the total
annual product of State revenue in
the city of Richmond from alcoholic
drinking alone the sum of sixty.six
thousand six hundred and seventy. /
I'VE dollars. But We think, i'm view |
OF the fact that IT must have taken
those who imbi We some time to get
to tie turning of the
crank and the changing of the bells,
and in view Of the additional con.
sideration that the month of Sep.
TENDER is too late in the season for
mht and too early for the meeting
OF the Legislature, this Is below the
average of what will be derived
from this source the year ro,.nd, but
even with this average il we csti.
mate half the amount as dcrivahle
from malt liquors, which is received
from the stronger stimnlant, we
have the astonishing result of more
t1an one hundred thousand dollars
being carried into the
state treasury i'll a single city with
scarcely any appreciablc cost.
The reflection occurs that such a
law would he evatled, and that eva. !.
sion would be easy.
Experience on the contrary seems
to have demonstrated that the only
class OF men much interested in its
evasion, the retailers of liquors, like
the law, because they have first no
license tax to pay; secondly, it stops
all credit i'll the sale of liauor by