Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1882-04-21
TAXING LIQUOR SALOONS.
The way n Business Nan LSeks Mt
1.-THE Case In chicago who Pay
the Costs of trime-Facts That
Apply 60 Cincinnati.

| CHICAGO, req. IL, 1857.
Mr.. r. F. E,nendouf, Resdent Citizens
League, Chicago:
MY DEAR SrR:--I regret that could not
comply with your wishes and speak on the
"license question" when you met with the
committee.of the Council.
My business hours csn not be interrupted
by political matters. Another engage
ment preventing my meeting with you
this evening, 1 take pleasure in responding
TO your request and send you "a view OF
the license question from business mans
standpoint"
We will irst look at the contrast be.
tween ten business houses and ten saloons.
We find from the Assessors books that
ten representative houses, in five different
lines Of business, viz: Marshall, Field 4
Co., J. v. Farwell & Co., dry goods; Reid,
Murdoch 4 Fisher, Sprague, Warner &
Co., groceries G. E. Henderson & Co., NJ.
d. Wells & Co., boots and shoes; Fl. A.
Holm & Bro, C. P. Kellogg & Co., cloth
ing; Hibbard, Spencer & Co., VIM. Blair
& Co., hardware, psid taxes last year to
the amount of SIG, 555, IL; these were in
addition TO their real estate taxes, which
were probably as mnch more.
We find by indirect inquiry that these
concerns had about 5000 clerks and EN-.
ployes.
They probably opened their places Of
business at z A. N. and closed at 6 p. NJ,
and had their private wn,chnien or police.
men.
In contrast to these ten business houses
we will place list Of ten saloons No we
find them in leading daily newspaper,
not one Of them on State street: Wabash
Avenue Pavilion, A. Smell, proprietor
2647 Cottage Grove avenue, Jacob SLENDER,
proprietor; $50 Clark street, G. E. Bell,
proprietor; I33 Thirteenth street, Mrs.
neutrality-suspicious.; 1921 Clark street
John Henry Mnhnk, alias Monroe, pro-
prietor 1917 Clark street, John Kaskopp,
proprietor; 264 Milwaukee Avenue, John
Kaskopp, proprietor; All Clark street,
Hassett, proprietor; 400 Clark street, King
Meyer, proprietor. OF these FIVE were as
sessed a total of S53. 72 personal tax and
five were not assessed at all. BY inquiry
at the Collecto.'s Office we learned thmt
none OF these taxes are paid, and probably
but small per cent. Of them can be col
lected.
| We will reckon that $500 has been re.
ceived from them fer licenses.
We will estimate four employees in each
saloon, making total Of forty.
We still estimate that they open ut 7
o'clock A. NJ. and close at midnight, al.
though think some of them are open all
night.
| We have then from the ten mercantile
houses a record OF $l16,5 ,565, ,l2 cash receiv.
ed and employees to the number of 5000.
From The ten saloons $500, and bad
debts S53.72, and employees forty.
We further find, and we are leaving out
entirely in tie discussion all moral and re-
| ligiouS views, that in the main SO far as
the influence 0t these ten business houses
extended, they advanced the value of real
estate, they assisted other business, and
stimulated trade in all directions.
| In the main we find that 30 far as the
influence of these ten saloons extended
they lowered the value OF real estate.
They did not assist other business nor did
they stimulate trade.
We find that in the ten saloons there
were ten murders committed last year, one
in each saloon. We have been at some
pains to find the average expense of MUIR
der, but can not arrive at any satisfactory
conclusion, and leave it indefinite. One
lawyer OF good standing, with extensive
acquaintance and practice, has made an
estimate OF the average expenses OF muir
der trial, including salaries, interest on in.
vestment tor jails, etc., to he 3,000
| Another authority thinks a fair estimate
would be under rather than over 5000
in this county.
We also find that the proprietors o.
several OF these saloons were arrested fol
selling liquor TO miners, and were in other
ways an expense to the city and county.
l submit that it is not fair not good bus
iness principles nor good sense, to so con
duct our city and county affairs that thes,
ten firms were required to pay these Ia xe
Of Sll6 500 while they were furnishing di
rect aid TO the city's prosperity, and thes,
ten saloons have paid the small sum o
$500 cash and bad debt OF S53.72, ant
caused such heavy expenses and trouble
Rising from these saloons and ten firm
, selected MS examples, and con- pairing tn
entire liquor interests, wholesale and retail
with the other interests in the city, WI
again find a striking contrast.
The total taxes assessed for last yea
were little less than S6,000,000. OF lhi
amount all the wholesale and retail liqro
dealers and saloon keepers combined wer
asked to pay less than $4,000.
In other words, the average personal ta.
paid by one OF the ten above mentione,
firms was more than the entire persona
taxes asssssed upon the $500 IN loon keep
ers aud the wholesale liquor dealeus be
sides.
The amount paid by the saloon keeper
| for licenses last yenr was 81 80 .226, 40. Ad,
to this less 900 for taxes, aud we hay
possible sum received from these inter
esls Of Sl94, 900.
] submit again that it is not fair, no
good business principes nor good sense 4
require our lumber, dry goods and hard
ware merchants-in short, our mercantile
and manufacturing interests, and especial
our real estate, 10 bear such heavy bur
dens of Iaxes while the branch OF business
which so adds TO the weight OF tho burdens
pays no little.
Our yearly eIPenses( except educational
should, as far as practicable, be paid tor b.
those who cause them.
Two OF our leading dailies, the Tribun
and Intsr Ocean, have recently stated tina
SALOONS caused three-fourlhs OF all tn
crime. This statement has not, think
been openly denied.
The Cincinnati Gazette recently made
similar general abatement, which WAS calle,
IN question by n subscriber. Being put h
the proof, the Gazette not only made il
statement good, but added 8 per cent to IL
showing that 81 per cent. OF all the Grim
| for iha laai N, raa nanniha nf Iaal war IN m