Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1883-02-19
TIE CITY RBvENUE QUESTION.

The high license question has awakened
general immediate attention. At Joliet,
ILL.,, one year ago, the city received but
81 800 per annum from ninety saloons, pay.
ing $50 license fee per annum. Joliet in.
creased the rate to $500 per annum, and
the saloons decreased to sixty in number,
but the city received from them $50 COO
in the past year. Nearly two years ago
there was passed in Nebraska what is
known as the Slocumb law. It raised the
license fee to $1,000 year. It required
every applicant for a license to furnish a
bond OF 5000 as security for damages,
fines, etc., which might be recovered against
him. It has proved success; has debarred
persons of bad repute from engaging in
liquor selling, as all applications for license
have to be published for two weeks, TO give
all who wish full opportunity to protest.
Under this law the number of saloons in
Omaha was reduced from go to 90. Says
an Omaha correspondent of the St. Louis
Globe Democrat. " No one claims that there
is any less liquor sold here than before the
passage of the bill, or that the number of
drinkers has been materially diminished.
The good results lie in the forcing of tbs
traffic into the hands of few responsible
men, and in the enormous increase in the
license revenue. Statistics show that the
quantity of liquor sold in towns of given
size (where not totally prohibited) averages
about the same, and is not governed to any
great degree by the number of place where
it is kept for SALE" Sacramento licenses two
hundred places where liquors are sold ex-
! clusively, and eighty where liquors and
groceries are sold, or beer alone. From all
licenses, merchandise and otherwise she
receives SIG, 600 per annum. The saloons pay
SIS per quarter, and the grocery with bars
from $40 to $l5. Now suppose the saloon
license be placed at $50 per month, and
the two hundred fall off to one hundred and
twenty-five; that gives revenue OF
S75. 600. Suppose the eighty other places
be restricted to the sale of beer only,
by license rate of $40 per month. 1t is
not at all likely that they will decrease in
number, for while the low dens where vile
liquor is sold will decrease, the places for
sale of beer will probably increase, and
grocers will not be affected in their sales
of beer by the license rate. The eighty
would pay, then, 50, 600 year. This gives
total Of SS4. 600 revenue, as against
S26, 600 now. 1t costs $40, 900 year to
run the water works and produce surplus
of $40. 600. Suppose the first figure be re.
duced to S35, 900, and the water rate &C.
cordingly cut down one.half, we will still
have $1,000 surplus from that source.
Then abolish all the licenses on merchan-
dising which are row based on sales, a
most uncertain and inequitable foundation.
Add to the sS4, 600 derived from liquor
licenses, S35 600 raised by water rates,
and we have a revenue of Sll9, 600, as
against SOC, C00now Il. e. S26, 0O0lcenses and
so. 600 from water). This leaves US clean
balance, then, of $23 600, with merchandise
license abolished and water rates reduced
one.half. This balance will enable still
further reductions to be made in the prop.
erty tax rate. Of course, with change Of
the figures for rates assumed in our pre-
mise, this balance can be made greater In
this whole matter we must not for moment
be misled by the idea that high license will
change the relation of the saloon keeper to
the public or of society to the saloon.
keeper. There is, on the contrary, only a
business proposition in ito wit to in
crease the revenue by tax on liquors, de-
crease the burden in other quarters, and
eliminate the mere doggery II ON our sys-
tenn. We have too many places where
liquor is sold, too little revenue from
them, and unreasonable licenses for
dealing in the ncoSssaries OF lire. IT,
proposition is to shift the bur len and ac.
complish reform also. One factor should
not be lost sight of-the blotting out of
the doggery viii lessen the Expenses in.
Cured in suppressing crime AMI Furnishing
for crime. Before the annual tax levy is
made we suggest that the Trustees give
this matter serious consideration. Ii the
plan is deemed feasible, there is no reason
why it should not be tried at once, and the
tax rate made materially less than now
proposed.